Golden Sun: Atmos
by TerminatorARB
Summary: The young warrior, Benton, and his friends must stop two adepts from enslaving all of Weyard with the power of Atmos. New characters, new world, but it's cannon. Only TLA cannon, though (to me, Dark Dawn isn't real). Includes some game characters. Please review.
1. Prologue

Just so everyone knows, this prologue is only here to provide background information on the antagonists. They are NOT the heroes of this story.

**Prologue**

_ Years ago, two people were both excommunicated from their respective clans. Sebastian, a water adept, was banned from the lands of his family, the Mercury clan. At the same time, Raven, a wind adept, was shunned by her people and forced to the North. Over time, the two met. The pair started to the North, finding a new home with the Mars clan._

_ The two met with the elders of the clan, and were allowed to stay. Over time, though treated as outsiders by most, the pair became close to the elders, close enough to take part in a plan that would change the world. During one of the last meetings of the counsel of the Mars clan, the presence of six warriors was demanded: Saturos, Menardi, Karst, Agatio, Sebastian, and Raven. The band was charged with a secret mission. A mission to a mountain called Aleph._

_ The group was commissioned to find a sacred and ancient power known as alchemy. The key to alchemy, the four elemental stars, were found in a sanctum inside of Mt. Aleph. Eager to gain favor and power in the Mars clan, Saturos and Menardi decided to lead the team to their objective... Until they found out about the true purpose of the mission. _

_ After discovering that the elders planned to use the power to enslave the world, all but Sebastian and Raven stormed out of the hall, refusing to become slaves to the weak old men. After leaving, Saturos decided to find the power, and to share the power of alchemy with his party instead of the elders. The four sailed South on two boats. Saturos and Menardi were separated from Karst and Agatio by a storm. Too tired and angry to turn back, Saturos and Menardi continued to the South. They found the mountain, but couldn't enter the sanctum._

_ Years later, The Jupiter clan and the Mars clan went to war. Sebastian and Raven fought in the war to ensure their future in the Mars nation. In the final battle of the war, Sebastian and Raven were the only adepts left to guard the Mars counsel in the capital city. They failed to protect the elders. The elders were slaughtered by the wind adepts, but after the death of the counsel, Sebastian and Raven were able to eliminate the remaining enemies._

_ The pair returned to the hall of the counsel to find that one elder still lived. The elder, in his last moments, asked the pair again to take the mission to Mt. Aleph. However, they were not just to recieve four elemental stars. Inside, they would find the Sol stone. No longer able to speak, the elder's last moton was withdrawal of a book from his robes. He placed it in Sebastian's hands, and then ceased to move._

_ When the two passed through the last safe haven of the Mars Clan, a town called Prox, they were told that the world was ending, and that Saturos and Menardi were commissioned to save it. Not believing the stories, they traveled back North, and discovered that the lands of the Mars Nation had fallen into a void, as did the lands of the other clans._

_ The pair left the Mars nation and headed South, toward their destination. The two traveled across the land, and eventually found Mt. Aleph, just weeks after the mountain became unstable..._

_How the two were able to recover the Sol stone is still very unclear, as they have no memory of how it happened. All that they were able to recollect is that inside the mountain, they met a being called The Wise One, who told them that the Venus Lighthouse had been lit, among other things._

_At that exact moment, the adept Isaac struck down Saturos and Menardi. Now the power of the Venus lighthouse was released, causing the entire world to quake._

_ Mt. Aleph, without warning, began to shake once more. There was a powerful rock slide, which sent Sebastian and Raven rolling down the side of the mountain, nearly dying in the process._

"Wake up!" Raven screamed.

Sebastian's eyes opened quickly, and he sat up. Raven was standing over him, looking behind herself. Behind her stood the mountain, still collapsing from the powerful earthquake. Sebastian looked around, noticing that he was sitting in sand, and their boat sat a few hundred yards away in the water. He was on a beach.

"Are you okay?" asked Raven, turning her head back to Sebastian.

"I think so," answered Sebastian, brushing sand off of his armor as he stood. "Do you have the stone?"

"I do," replied Raven, holding it out for him to see. "The Wise One said Venus was lit, so Mercury must have been, too."

"That means only the Jupiter and Mars towers remain." said Sebastian.

"If we leave now, we should reach Bahmra by the time the other lighthouses are lit."

"Bahmra," Said Sebastian dumbly.

"It's in the book," Raven explained. "Bahmra is the land that holds the Sol lighthouse. The instructions are a bit confusing when it mentions Gaia Falls, but it should be easy to get there, but once we do, if someone tries to stop us..."

"We'll kill them," finished Sebastian.

_As the final lighthouses were lit, the party sailed over the North side of the continent and headed east past the end of the known world. Down the Gaia Falls, rather than finding the void once more, they found the continent below the falls called Bahmra, but the only way into its seas was to pass a strait known as Gateway, and on gateway's shore was a town called Gateway. The companions didn't realize until it was too late that Bahmra was home to a great many adepts, and that these adepts posed a major threat to their plan..._


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1- Gateway**

Gateway was a rather large port town, known for being the only way out of Bahmra. It stood on a peninsula that bordered the Gateway strait. It was spring in Gateway, and the sky was dark. It rained on this day, as it had for several days before. Most buildings in the town were of clay or stone, and so were the streets. On the Eastern, Southern, and Western ends of the town, there were ports and harbors. Other than that, the town had no recognizable landmarks.

Today, Benton sat in his seat at the inn, eating his evening meal, as did everyone else in the building. The inn was busy tonight, as almost all of the fifteen or so tables were filled. Some, however, only held one person. Only three seats remained open at the bar, and every room upstairs was rented. Nobody wanted to leave town in the rain, so the inn had been packed for days. Benton had been living here for the past week, though.

The young adept had turned nineteen years of age the week before, and decided to leave home. Before he was able to leave, an angry tempest took over the skies, and all travel seemed to stop in Gateway. As a result, he remained in town. Benton wondered why the storm was so powerful. Travelers spoke of the four lighthouses being lit, others claimed it was only a regular storm, but it wasn't. This storm seemed particularly... dark.

Benton's thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of two strangers. They wore hoods, and seemed to radiate a sort of negative power. The two strangers sat down at the table directly to Benton's right, and began to whisper to each other, occasionally mentioning "the book," or "the stone." Intrigued by these newcomers, Benton decided to try to make conversation.

"Hello," he said to one of the hooded strangers, turning to face them.

"Hello," returned a man's voice.

"Where are you from?" asked Benton, smiling politely.

"Far away," said a woman's voice.

"Why do you wear hoods?" asked Benton, in a slightly less polite manner.

The hooded figures faced each other, whispering. One then nodded to the other, and they simultaneously pulled back their hoods, revealing their faces.

The man's face was a shade of blue, and his swept back hair a darker version of the same color. A scar ran from his left eyebrow to the base of his jaw. The woman had long, parted, and purple hair. Her skin was a lighter shade of the same purple, and her ears were long and pointed.

"To hide ourselves, young man," said the woman, vaguely answering Benton's question.

"Are you adepts?" Benton asked, gesturing to the chair on the opposite end of their table. The man nodded, granting Benton permission to sit.

"How did you know?" the man asked casually.

"There are lots of adepts here," Benton answered. "You've no need to hide."

"How many?" asked the woman abruptly.

"I'm not sure, maybe half of every town?" Benton leaned back, scratching his chin while the two companions shared a secretive glance once more.

"They're warriors?" asked the woman, slightly anxiously.

Benton paused for a moment, looking suspiciously at the woman. He thought for a bit and then asked, "Are you planning on causing trouble?"

"No," said the man. "We just want to make sure that we don't run into someone who is."

"Fair enough," said Benton. "No, most of us aren't warriors, ma'am, but a few of us are. Most people use their power just as part of daily life here. Things like lifting heavy objects, or even harvesting crops. Most city guards use psynergy in combat, as do some adventurers and mercenaries."

"And which would you be?" asked the man.

Benton looked at the man's belt and saw a large mace hanging from it. He answered, "Probably the same as you."

The man followed Benton's eyes to his mace and smiled. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Benton," replied the young adept. "What about you two?"

The man, still smiling, gestured to himself and his partner. "This is Raven, and I'm Sebastian."

_Well_, thought Sebastian, _I've already made a friend._ He looked this young man over. Benton had long, parted, dark hair, and his eyes were very dark, too. He looked strong, and seemed to be very smart. There was also a sort of pride radiating from him. He wore a blue tunic, which underneath lay chain mail armor. Above his tunic, he wore a thin black cloak. He was clever, he was battle hardened, he was the perfect ally.

"So where are you from, friend?" asked Sebastian, leaning back in his seat.

"Here," answered Benton. "But I plan to leave soon, as soon as this storm lets up."

"Where are you going to go?" asked Sebastian.

"Sebastian, you can't be considering..." Raven quickly whispered. Sebastian only held his hand out to her.

"I'm not sure," answered Benton "What about you guys?"

"We can't really say," answered Sebastian.

"He won't, Sebastian," said Raven, cutting into the conversation once more. Once more, Sebastian waved her off.

"You look like you've seen a little bit of adventure," Sebastian began. "What if we asked you to join us on our quest?"

Benton grinned with excitement, but his smile vanished as quick as it appeared.

"As nice as your offer is, you look like you've seen a bit more action than I. I might slow you down, and while I think I'd get along very well with the two of you, I'm still unsure of your intentions, even more now, since you won't tell me where it is you're going."

"I understand, and we won't rush you to make a decision, but do think about it," said Sebastian, his face remaining friendly.

After thinking for a few minutes, Benton gave them his answer. "I'm very sorry, but maybe next time," he said, slowly standing up.

"I'll hold you to it," jested Sebastian, standing up as well.

The new friends shook hands, and Benton walked to the other side of the inn, where the stairs were. He traveled up the steps and entered his room, closing the door behind him. The two watched as Benton went to his room, and returned their attention to each other as his door closed. Raven swatted Sebastian's shoulder with her hand.

"Why would you ask him to come with us?" she hissed.

"Because he's strong, smart, and knows this land." replied Sebastian.

"Anyone could've told that he isn't our type!"

"And what is our type?" Sebastian fiercely whispered. "Are we the monsters? Are we wrong?"

"Of course we're not."

"Then it didn't hurt to ask!"

Sebastian began to sake his head. "Maybe we are the bad guys," he said.

"Is it bad to do what is necessary?" asked Raven.

"If the world views it so."

"Should we stop?"

Sebastian glared at her and replied furiously, "We've come way too far, and put too much of our sweat and blood into this journey to stop now."

Raven rested her hand on his shoulder. "Whatever you choose, I'll go with you," she said.

"We can't have any adepts trying to stop us," said Sebastian, looking at Raven.

Raven understood his look, and nodded. Everyone who posed a threat needed to be eradicated. Every last one. Sebastian threw off his cloak and stepped up to the side of the bar.

Leaning on the edge of the bar, he asked, "How many of you are adepts?"

As he watched all hands go up, he smiled. "I figured as much."

He extended his arm forward, toward everyone on the bar. His hand began to glow, and before anyone could react, a spike of ice shot from his hand, stretching forward through everyone at the bar. As the spike disintegrated, the bar's inhabitants sunk to the ground. The inn grew silent, and all eyes were on Sebastian and Raven.

Benton sat bolt upright in his bed. He woke from a bad dream, yet couldn't remember what it was. Trying to forget about it, he decided to stay up a while. As he swung his feet over the bed and onto the ground, he looked out his window. Instantly he noticed that the wind had picked up and the rain turned to hail. He stood up, walking over to a chair in the corner, but stopped. He had a feeling that something bad had just happened, but couldn't think of what. He assumed it may have been his dream that put him on edge, but his eyes were drawn to his sword, which lay on a dresser next to his bed. He walked slowly to the dresser, placing his hand on the sword's scabbard, and then he heard a scream.

Sebastian stood on a table, launching freezing spires of bitter ice at people, while Raven struck people with lightning from her fingertips. As a bolt of lightning struck the door, a section of the front of the inn was blown away. The two headed outside, striking more buildings and people. Nothing could endanger their mission, no adepts could be spared. As the two left the burning inn, Benton crashed through the door of his room, armor on, sword drawn.

As he looked around the inferno in the main room, he noticed the gaping hole in the front wall. He dove through the wall, rolling out into the sleet and hail. The building next door was also in flames, and bodies littered the ground. Standing up, Benton focused his attention forward and down the street he stood upon. There, he saw two people, striking another man down. He began to sprint toward them, brandishing his weapon.

As Benton came closer to the enemy, He found himself coming to a dead stop. He knew these two people.

"You two," he gasped.

Raven and Sebastian turned to face Benton. "Hello, Benton," said Raven with a grim smile.

"You should have come with us, friend," said Sebastian, mirroring Raven's dark expression. "Now, you're a threat, and we have to kill you. It's a shame, though. You could have been a very helpful ally."

Saying nothing, Benton only raised his sword at Sebastian.

"I see," said Sebastian, his expression now more serious. He drew his mace from his belt.

As Benton threw himself at Sebastian, their weapons clashed, and the two stood, holding each other at bay.

"Come now, Benton, I figured you would be smarter than this," said Sebastian.

"You're killing people," returned Benton, glaring at his new foe.

"It's a necessary evil, yes," said Sebastian, shrugging.

"For what purpose?" asked Benton. "What are you doing here?"

Sebastian stepped back, withdrawing his mace. "A long time ago," he began, "We were abandoned by our families. The tribe known as the Mars clan gave us refuge, but they treated us like slaves. As we grew up, we learned of a power called Atmos."

"Why would you want to activate the Atmos?" questioned Benton.

"So you know about it," said Sebastian. "Good. If you know what it is, then you ought to know what it does, yes?"

"Yes, and you're mistaken if you think I'll let two murderers take that kind of power," answered Benton.

"Maybe we are murderers," said Sebastian. "But, what are a few lives, when our quest is for the good of the world?"

"What good could you two offer the people?" asked Benton, still glaring at Sebastian.

"Unity," answered Sebastian. "Under the god rulers of the new world."

"And who are these gods, you?" continued Benton's interrogation.

"Maybe," answered Sebastian. "Enough stalling, though. You need to be taken care of. I've decided, however, no to kill you." Sebastian turned his head to Raven and said, "Raven, mortally wound him, please."

With a nod, Raven, in one motion, drew her sword and swept the blade across Benton's chest, cutting through his chain mail and drawing a large amount of blood. As she sheathed her weapon, Benton's fell, followed by Benton himself. As Benton lost consciousness, the pair fled Gateway, leaving the town in ruin, and a large number of its inhabitants dead.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2-Stone**

Benton jerked awake, rolling off of his bed and reaching to his back for his sword. As he looked around, he noticed he was no longer in immediate danger. He lowered his hand, and let out a long, growling sigh. He collected himself, and decided to look around.

_Where am I_, he thought, as he scanned the room. He was in a clay building of Gateway, that he knew. To his left was the bed he'd slept in, followed by a wall, which held a single window. Behind him was another wall, which he was now leaning on. In front, on the opposite wall, he saw a wardrobe, and a door sat in the wall on the left, as did a few shelves. On the shelves, sat many medicinal herbs. He let the information sink in as he sat back down on the bed, making his conclusion. _I'm in a healer's home_, he thought.

As Benton tried to piece the night before together, the door opened, and in walked his parents. They both wore grim, yet hopeful smiles.

"Hello, son," said his father, sitting on a chair in the corner.

Benton nodded to the man.

His father gave a slight chuckle, and spoke once more. "I guess you're going to follow them, aren't you?" he said.

Benton nodded once more, still silent.

"And what of the people here?" asked his mother, slightly disappointed at her son's decision.

"What of those, everywhere else?" asked Benton, finally speaking.

"I suppose it's a fair enough answer," replied his mother, smiling once more. "And just because I support that kind of decision, don't expect me to like it."

"You'll kill them, yes?" asked his father, joining the conversation once more.

"If I must," Benton replied.

"Taking another man's life isn't the same as taking the lives of the creatures you've hunted," said his father, standing up. "Goodbye, son. I expect you to come back..."

As his father opened the door, he spoke again. "Alive," he said, leaving the room.

His father barely showed emotion during his visit, but he's always grieved in different ways than others. While Benton didn't see much care in his father's eyes that day, he never doubted that his father cared for him greatly.

"Don't mind him," said Benton's mother. "He just hates to see you go.

"What about you?" asked Benton, his mood lightening a little.

"I've made my peace with it," she answered. "You were already planning to leave, and I knew there was no way you weren't going to chase those people," she said, beginning to laugh.

"How did you know that?" asked Benton, laughing as well.

"Because you're a hero," said his mother. "Not a villain."

With that, she left the room, leaving Benton to prepare for his journey. He opened the wardrobe, and found all of his clothes inside. As he pulled his blue tunic over his head, he noticed that the slash in it had been stitched shut. His mail, however, was permanently damaged, so he left it in the wardrobe. He grabbed the belt, which held his sword and scabbard, and slung it over his shoulder, buckling it firmly. It was his father's sword, as his father was an adventurer before him. Finally, Benton pulled his boots up to his shins, and decided that it was time to leave.

He left the healer's home, and noticed instantly that the town was in miserable shape. Entire buildings were burned down, and he passed several bodies as he walked toward the gate. Nobody waited to see him off at the gate. In fact, hardly anyone noticed that he left. Most adepts in town were dead, so anyone strong enough to help repaired buildings or carried bodies from the street. People were too busy mourning to even think about revenge. This is what Benton saw, as he took one last painful look at his home. He then turned and opened the gate, leaving his city.

After exiting the town, Benton faced North. To the West lay the ocean, to the North, a mountain range. Benton started to the North. As he walked through the plains of Northern Bahmra, he occasionally saw a pack of wolves or rats. He even saw a bear or two, but not many threatening monsters. He knew from previous adventures that the more vicious creatures lived in the mountains.

Benton's plan was to head northeast, to a town called Fulgaar. It was the closest town to Gateway, and he figured Sebastian would stop to hunt the adepts in town. After killing them all, however, they would run. And they were already traveling a a night ahead of Benton.

Deep in thought, Benton was caught off guard when a piercing screech spanned the sky. He looked up, trying to find the source of the sound, but couldn't see anything. He resumed walking until he heard the screech once more. This time, as he looked up, a large, feathery creature dove from the sky. The monster crashed into him, knockig him from his feet. The bird landed on the ground in front of Benton, staring at him with malice.

Slowly, Benton drew his sword, examining his enemy. He'd seen this creature before, it was called a malroc. It was a predator that hunted by diving into their prey from the direction of the sun. The malroc had very large, powerful, brown wings, and it's pointed beak was the size of Benton's sword. The bird itself stood about seven feet from the ground.

Benton swung his sword at the malroc, but it nimbly stepped back, dodging the blow. The malroc then attacked, thrusting its beak toward Benton. Blocking the strike, Benton swung his sword downward on the malroc's strong beak, redirecting the bird's charge. After stumbling a bit, the malroc began to flap its wings, slowly ascending into the air. Once high enough, it dove again, trying to impale Benton on its sharp beak.

Benton jumped to the left, avoiding the powerful dive, but the malroc only swooped back up into the air, preparing to dive once more. Benton became impatient and groaned. _I can't sit here and waste my time on something like this_, he thought to himself.

"Then let me help," said a small voice from the grass.

"Who's there?" said the startled Benton, turning around.

"Watch out," said the voice.

Benton spun around to see the malroc and barely dodged its attack, diving into the grass. The malroc, once again, flew back up into the sky.

"That was close," said the little voice.

"Who are you?" Benton asked Hastily.

"Stone," said the voice. "The bird's coming back, by the way."

Benton jumped to his feet once more, sidestepping the large bird's dive.

"I can tell this isn't getting you anywhere," said the Stone, still not visible to Benton.

Without turning, Benton shouted over his shoulder, "Do you have a better idea?!"

"Yes," said Stone, "Thanks for asking. Just get ready to stab the bird."

"But-" Benton began to protest.

"No buts, get ready to stab it," demanded Stone.

Benton, both hands on his sword, crouched forward, the tip of his blade aimed directly at the incoming malroc.

"What now?" Benton asked nervously.

"Stab the bird, genius!" Stone said impatiently.

"It'll kill me!" shouted Benton.

Before Stone could reply, the bird was only a few feet away from Benton. With no other ideas, Benton stood, thrusting his blade forward. As his blade moved forward, a series of small lights surrounded it, fusing with the sword itself. The malrock met the blade with its beak. As the bird impacted on Benton's weapon, its beak shattered, forcing the bird to fall head first onto the tip of Benton's sword. Pulling the weapon from the dead malroc, Benton studied it. The blade was no longer metal, It was pure gray stone.

"Told you I could help," said Stone.

"How did you do that?" asked Benton, still staring at his weapon.

"I just did," replied Stone.

"Can you fix it?"

"Sure, here you go."

Slowly, the gray color and stony texture faded from the sword, restoring the weapon to its previous state. Satisfied, Benton sheathed his weapon, and began to walk again.

"Hey!" shouted Stone. "You're just gonna leave me?"

"I can't even see you," said Benton, turning back toward Stone's voice.

As if on demand, small lights, resembling the ones that posessed Benton's sword, ascended from the grass, whirling around each other. As the lights gathered together, they all flashed a bright light simultaneously. Benton raised his hand over his eyes, shielding them from the light. When he lowered his hand, a small creature sat before him.

The creature was brown and mouselike in appearance, but was larger and stood on two legs. Its eyes were large and blue, and rows of spines flowed down it's back.

"Can you see me now?" said Stone, who, in fact, was the strange creature that stood before Benton.

"You're... strange looking," said Benton, not quite able to think of anything to say.

"I'm called a djinni. I landed here many days ago, when my home erupted."

"Where is your home?" asked Benton.

"A world away, I'll never see it again."

"So what do you want with me?" wondered Benton, sitting down in front of the djinni.

"Well, I'm never going home, and you seem like you could use my help, so I've decided to come with you."

"You've decided to come with me? When were you planning on asking?"

"Well, I just did. Thanks."

Benton didn't see any harm in letting the creature along, he was worried about its safety. "What if you get hurt?" he asked.

"If you let me come with, I won't get hurt. I'm only in my physical form right now. I can become energy at any time. And besides, I've already made up my mind"

Before Benton could protest, Stone disintegrated into hundreds of small lights, which all flew into Benton. Afterward, Benton felt a sort of energized. He felt like he grew stronger.

"I bet you feel tough, now," said Stone's voice.

"Yes, I do," replied Benton, clenching his outstretched fist.

"Good," said Stone. "This is the last time that we talk. If you ever need my abilities once more, just call my name." Stone's voice trailed off into silence.

With this newfound power, Benton felt hyper. He began to run to Fulgaar, he ran all the way to the city. Benton arrived by nightfall, and entered the fist inn he saw.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3-Fulgaar**

Night fell as Benton stepped through the gates of Fulgaar. The town wasn't unlike his own, but they had their differences. The mood in Fulgaar seemed darker, and the buildings were of stone and brick, rather than clay. The town was also far from the sea, so there were no ports or harbors.

As Benton entered, he immediately noticed the demolished buildings toward the front of town. _They've been here_, he thought. Since there were no people in the streets, Benton entered teh first inn he saw. As he entered the low lit building, the loud chatter of men filled his ears, and the smell of alcohol filled his nose. The tables were filled, so he took the last seat at the bar.

"Can I get you anything?" the bartender asked, approaching Benton.

"No, thank you," answered Benton. "But do you think you could tell me what happened here?"

"Oh, you mean outside," said the bartender, his mood becoming grim.

"You wanna know what happened outside?" shouted a voice.

Benton turned around in his stool to face the man who had just spoken. He was met with a giant of a man. The man pushed someone from Benton's neighboring stool, taking the seat for himself. His breath reeking of alcohol, the man turned to Benton and spoke.

"A couple of adepts came in, tellin' us that we're some kinda threat," he said. "Went an' started killin' people. They wrecked a couple a' buildings, too."

"What were they like?" asked Benton.

"I bet you're an adept, too, huh? You gonna kill our people too?" said the giant man, ignoring Benton.

"What were they like?!" shouted Benton, silencing the loud inn.

"They're gone," said the big man. "Ran away." He took a drink from the mug in front of him and then spoke again. "There were two of em', a man an' a woman."

"The man was a Mercury adept," Benton interrupted.

"Yeah," said the man, looking into his mug. "I guess they did something to you, too." He turned toward Benton, extending his hand. "Name's Brutus," he said.

Benton took his hand. Brutus was a big man, and wore a red shirt. His hair was shaved, and he carried a claymore on his back. He was a fire adept, and, though looking much older, was only nineteen years of age, the same as Benton.

"I'm Benton."

"So, are you an adept?" asked Brutus, taking another gulp of his drink.

"Yes, a Venus adept. What about you?"

"I'm a Mars adept," Brutus said. "So what'd they do to you?"

"They lied to me for information, and then killed my people," Benton replied quietly.

"That's about damn near what they did here," said Brutus. "Only they didn't want any information. They said that all adepts were a threat to their plan, started killin' people."

"So everybody came here?" Asked Benton, becoming irritated. "To just drink 'till they forget?"

"It's not like anyone's tough enough to fight em' anyways.." After looking Benton over, Brutus began to laugh. "That's why yer chasin' em'? You gonna fight em'?"

Scowling, Benton turned back to the bar.

"You really are, aren't you?" Brutus asked, suddenly sober.

After a moment of thinking, Brutus took another drink and slammed his mug onto the bar. "Then I'm coming with you," he said.

Benton turned his head, surprised at Brutus.

"Not for you though," clarified Brutus. "Those two need to be put down. And besides, I got a personal score to settle with those bastards."

"Are you sure?" asked Benton.

"Yeah," said Brutus. "I got nothin' left here, and there's no way you can take on those guys on your own."

"I guess I never thought of that," said Benton, remembering the night Raven wounded him.

"Fine then, you can come with," said Benton, his sour mood subsiding.

"Good," said Brutus, slapping Benton's back. "When do we leave?"

"Barkeep?" asked Benton.

"Yes, sir?" replied the man, approaching Benton once more.

"Do you have any rooms left?"

"Just one."

"I'll take it."

Benton turned back to Brutus. "I'm going tomorrow in the morning. I expect to see you at the gate then."

"You will," said Brutus, nodding his head.

With nothing else to say, Benton traveled up the stairs on the other side of the inn and entered his new room.

The next morning, Benton awoke and left the inn. He decided to wait near the town entrance for Brutus. Nearly ten minutes later, Benton was about to leave when he heard his name.

"Benton!" someone shouted.

It was definitely a very large man, who had a deep voice. Benton turned to see Brutus walking from the town toward him. Brutus was clearly sober now, as he didn't stumble or fall on his way to Benton. Brutus' face was strange though. It looked aged, worn.

"How old are you?" asked Benton.

"Nineteen," replied Brutus. "I Don't look it, do I?"

"No," said Benton.

"I been told that a grudge ages a person," said Brutus. He then shrugged. "I don't know, maybe it does."

"You have a grudge, then?" asked Benton, beginning to walk away from the city.

After a moment of silence, Brutus only replied, "I'm not talking about it."

Benton nodded, deciding not to talk any more.

_this is the second time he's mentioned this personal score_, thought Benton. _I wonder what they did to him?_

The new companions traveled east, toward the Fulgaar Bridge. The bridge itself was only made of wood, and there was no toll for traveling on it. However, It was the only way to the other side of the river, aside from traveling along the mountains to the North. Benton and Brutus, though, became angered when they found it demolished.

Benton approached the Fulgaar Bridge. It was a heavy, wooden bridge. Rails followed it across the river. At the center of the bridge, there was a large gap, as someone had demolished it in some way. The bridge couldn't be jumped across, and the river couldn't be passed. Knowing their only choice, Benton and Brutus set their sights North, to the forest, and then the cliffs. Slightly angered, the party traveled North.

As the two passed the treeline in the North, Brutus stopped.

"Hey," he said. "There are all kinds of creatures in there."

"I already know what you're getting at," said Benton.

Acknowledging Benton's statement, Brutus continued anyway. "How do I know that you've got my back in there?"

Benton turned, lokking Brutus in the eye. "You don't," he said. "Just like I'm not sure that you've got mine. Is that a fair answer?"

Brutus nodded his head.

"If the time comes," continued Benton, "I expect we'll both do the right thing."

Nodding, Brutus changed the subject as the two continued through the woods. "So those two adepts," he said. "What do you know about them?"

"They say they came from the lands West of Bahmra," said Benton. "They claim to have the Sol stone."

"Wait," interrupted Brutus. "You mean that stone from all those children's books?"

"It's also mentioned in the Bahmra annals," said Benton. "You've read about the Sol stone, right?"

"Yeah," replied Brutus. "Everyone has. It's a rock that makes the owner invincible or something, right?"

"More or less," replied Benton. "It's a key to a tower, called the Sol lighthouse."

"Oh, yeah," said Brutus, remembering his childhood stories. "There's that Atmos thing, too."

"Exactly. Do you remember what it does?" asked Benton.

With no change of mood, Brutus answered, "Yeah."

"Are you sure?" asked Benton, in slight disbelief of Brutus' indifference.

Brutus looked at Benton and began to laugh. "You think I'm stupid, don't you?" he asked. "Well, while I'm not too smart, I'm not going to worry myself over things I can't control. And besides, we're gonna get those two before they even get a chance to use that rock, so lighten up. You don't need to be angry until we see em' again."

"I guess that makes sense," said Benton, pondering the source of Brutus' sudden outburst of knowledge.

In truth, nobody was sure exactly what Atmos was. It was only known to everyone as an ancient weapon. The only person who has ever claimed to even see it is the author of the Bahmra annals, a collection of history throughout all of known history in Bahmra. Certainly all of the elemental stars were in the texts, including the Sol stone as well as Atmos, but no concrete information was ever given. Thus, the Atmos became a fantasy, a child's story.

As the two met the foot of the chain of mountains leaving the forest, they began to travel across the cliffs. The cliffs were tricky, and rocks and boulders had to be moved with psynergy every so often. The boys were also attacked by malroc several times, but dispatched each bird with ease, now that there were two warriors, rather than one.

After climbing back down the mountain and into the forest on the opposite side of the river, the two began to grow tired. However, they pushed on, expecting to leave the forest by noon.

The forest had become very thick after the companions left the mountain. Obviously, trees were everywhere, but animals, logs, and vines, too. It almost seemed as though nobody had ever been in this forest, as there were no signs of human life, aside from the stone pillars.

Further along in the woods, the path that Benton and Brutus walked became clearer, losing leaves and vines as they progressed. Even further along, large stone pillars began to rise from the ground along the sides of the path. Off of the path, the wildlife began to change. Animals became scarce, the trees twisted and grew into each other. Before long, all trees in sight were a part of their neighbors, leaving no way to travel except the path. However, the sky rapidly became dark as the companions continued forward.

The two found themselves hurrying down the path, growing uncomfortably anxious for no apparent reason. Brutus began to sweat, and Benton's heart raced as they began to run down the path. Soon, the trees began to grow so close that they formed a tunnel over the trail, letting in no light. Now, in pitch black, the friends saw only one thing: a barely visible glow at the end of the tunnel. With the sudden anxiety taking full control of their bodies and minds, the two broke into a full sprint, racing to the light.

After what seemed like an eternity of running, the partners broke through a barrier of vines and branches, stumbling into a small, round clearing. Brutus, even with his stamina, began to breathe heavily, slowly sinking to the ground. Benton however, was exhausted. As he entered the clearing, he crashed into the ground, scattering leaves and crushing twigs. Seeing his friend collapse, Brutus stood and looked around, trying to figure out where they were.

Facing the tunnel they emerged from, Brutus concluded that the clearing wasn't hazardous. The trees around it formed a wall, but the top was open, exposing a bright blue sky. _That's not right_, thought brutus. _It was just dark, wasn't it? How long were we running?_

"How long were we running?" Brutus said aloud.

"Very long," answered a voice.

The voice was hollow and metallic, sounding slightly muffled. As Brutus turned around, he saw a tall figure, towering above himself. The figure was a knight, dressed in ornately engraved armor. The knight was transparent, and glowing red eyes glared at Brutus from the knights horned helmet.

"Who are you?" demanded Brutus, brandishing his claymore.

"It's been a very long time since last I saw a living human," said the knight, ignoring Brutus' demands.

"Are you a ghost?" asked Brutus, his arms beginning to shake.

"Ghost," the knight said eerily, staring into his transparent hand. "Yes, a ghost."

"Move aside," said Brutus.

"Move," said the ghost. "No." The voice was seemingly sorrowful, but angry at the same time.

The knight then drew his sword. It was a long, steel greatsword, designed to match the armor. A waving flame pattern was carved along the center of the blade, and a red ribbing hung from its hilt. The weapon had no transparency, unlike its wielder.

"Fight," said the hollow voice, pointing the beautifully engraved weapon at Brutus.

Benton regained his consciousness as he sat up, scratching his aching head. _How long was I out_, he wondered, casting weak healing psynergy on himself. He stood dusting off his trousers when he heard the clashing of weapons. Benton spun around to see Brutus, locked in combat with a towering giant.

As the knight arced his blade at Brutus, Brutus tried to parry the attack. spinning around the ghost, Brutus swung his blade upward, missing the knight's arm by an inch. Before he was able to recover balance from his attack, the knight struck Brutus with a sort of explosive psynergy, sending Brutus tumbling into Benton.

"Brutus," said Benton, breathing heavily. "Get off."

Brutus obeyed, scrambling off of Benton and helping his friend up.

"Looks like you've got your hands full," said Benton, his gaze shifing to the knight on the other end of the clearing.

"Yeah, you could say that," replied Brutus, rubbing the left side of his ribs.

"Let me take a shot at him," said Benton. "But I'll need you to block his attacks."

"Alright," sighed Brutus, picking his claymore up from the ground.

Once prepared, the two ran to the knight. As the two approached, the knight raised his free hand, casting his psynergy again. An explosion detonated to the left of Benton, just barely missing him. Then another was released, nearly getting Brutus. As the two closed in, The knight arced his sword once more. Brutus held the attack in check, deflecting it with his own sword, as the knight tried to regain his balance, Benton leaped into the air.

"Stone!" he shouted, driving his sword into the knight's chest. The blade quilckly changed color, the texture changing to stone. The blade met the ghost's plate armor, knocking the knight back and creating a massive tear in the front of his armor.

As Benton recovered his balance, Brutus spun around, whipping his blade into the ghost's chest as well, sending his foe to the ground.

"You win," said the knight, his hollow voice echoing around the clearing. His hand raised, he pointed to a second opening in the trees, the opening that he apparently guarded. "Exit," he continued.

"That's the way out?" asked Brutus, looking at the opening.

"Before you go," began the voice, still echoing wildly. "Finish me... with this." The knight, with the last of his strength, gestured to the sword at his side.

"Fine," answered Brutus, drawing the weapon from the ground.

With no hesitation, Brutus drove the weapon into the ghost's chest, disintegrating the being.

"I wonder who he was," said Benton, looking at the sword.

"Guess we'll never find out," said Brutus, pulling the heavy weapon from the ground.

After a moment of thought, Benton spoke again. "You should keep it," he said. "The sword I mean."

"Why?" asked Brutus, weighing it in his hand.

"I can tell you want to, and no doubt it's better than that old and beaten claymore you've got."

"Maybe," replied Brutus, tapping his finger along the edge of the blade. After swinging it around and weighing it once more, Brutus decided to keep the weapon.

Following the knight's instructions, the partners walked through the hole that the knight came from, following the new path out of the woods. When Benton and Brutus emerged from the treeline, they found that they exited the woods only meters away from the river they crossed. To the South, they saw the broken bridge in the distance. To the East, they saw a city on the horizon. With their destination decided, the two began to walk through the plains once more.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4-Athrab**

Benton and Brutus had walked for miles, and remained relatively quiet during this journey. Benton was exhausted and still in pain from their previous battle. Brutus only remained quiet because he simply had nothing to say.

"So," said Benton, breaking the silence. "You never told me exactly why you wanted to take this journey."

Brutus was in front of Benton, so he turned, now walking backward to answer Benton's question.

"I did tell you," he said. "It's because they have to die."

"Yes," said Benton. "But you said you had a grudge."

"I also said that I wasn't gonna talk about it."

"Why not?" asked Benton, now very curious.

"I told you," said Brutus. "There's no point in getting angry 'till we catch up with em'."

As the conversation came to an end, the two were now only steps away from the wall of this new town they had traveled to. Benton placed his hand on the wall, feeling the solid granite of which it was made.

"This is Athrab," he said.

"How do you know?" asked Brutus.

"Books," replied Benton. "Athrab is always mentioned as 'The City of Granite' in the annals."

"Did you read our entire world's history?" Asked Brutus, feeling the wall for himself.

"I did," answered Benton, his tone very serious.

Brutus shook his head. "You need a hobby," he said.

Walking along the granite wall, the two finally came to a large wooden gate. After Brutus knocked, the gate swung open slowly, and an old cloaked man stood on the other side.

"Welcome to Athrab," he said cheerfully.

The city itself wasn't made of granite. The buildings and roads were all made from different assortments of stone, each road and building different from the other. The town was also a slum. The buildings were in poor condition, and the people were thin and cloaked in dark robes, their barely visible eyes darting about suspiciously.

As Benton looked down the main road, he saw what looked like a fountain a few blocks away, and even further was a better looking neighborhood. What caught his eye though, was the mansion on the other side of the city. It was easy to determine that further ahead was the better part of town, and that those people didn't care in the slightest for these people.

As the two began to walk down the main street, Benton continued to observe the buildings. Then, he noticed something.

"Wait," he said, his pace slowing.

"What?" asked Brutus.

"Nothing happened here," said Benton.

"Yeah, but it doesn't look like there's anything _to _do here anyway."

"No," said Benton. "Sebastian and Raven, they're not here yet."

"No way," said Brutus, his hand now gripping his new sword. "Those guys broke the bridge, and we had to have lost hours on em' in that forest."

"Then why haven't they attacked?" asked Benton, slowly stepping off of the street.

"What if they're here right now?" asked Brutus, shifting his gaze from cloaked figure to cloaked figure.

The two backed up into a wall, just below a window, looking suspiciously at everyone. Everything became quiet to the two as they listened for anything out of the ordinary. But then, the silence was broken as a loud crash startled the two companions.

Benton covered his head as glass began to rain down on him. When he looked up, two hooded figures dove from the window above him, one in front of the other. Tumbling into the street, the two recovered quickly and sped into an alley across the street. As the figures passed by, the townspeople only briefly glanced, and then returned to their business.

"Brutus, it's them!" shouted Benton, sprinting into the alley after the two.

Brutus chased his friend into the alley, just barely keeping up. After passing between two buildings, Brutus found himself turning into another passageway and then a large, seemingly empty space between four other buildings. He now stood, sword drawn, next to Benton, his weapon also in hand.

The area they stood in was empty, and between four buildings. The only entrances were in the southwestern corner, from where Benton and Brutus came; the northwestern corner, which made up another alley; and the northeastern corner, which was blocked by a nearly seven foot tall stone wall. The building walls were all of stone, except for the building on the Northern side, which had a walkway along it. On the walkway were wooden arches, connected by a balcony above it.

The companions were surprised when they entered the alley, as the two they chased evidentally were not Sebastian and Raven, though one was a woman. Her back faced them, but she wore a dark grey jumpsuit and a belt, which held the scabbard to her sword. She also wore a red cape and hood, which was pulled over her head.

The theory that these strangers were partners was discarded when Benton saw the two battling in the alley. The girl's sword held against the man's. He wore very dark clothes, and his face was covered. As the two pushed away from each other, the girl, who Benton assumed was about his age, spoke.

"Who are you working for?" she asked, her short sword pointed at the man.

The man only dove at her once more, attempting to run her through with his sword. However, she stepped aside quickly, parrying the thrust and jabbing the cloaked man in his ribs. This attack cought him off guard, and thus, sent him to the ground, grabbing his side in pain.

"Who are you working for?" the girl asked again, holding the man's chin up with the tip of her blade.

Before he was able to answer, a man dressed in the same garb came running from the other alley into the opening, crashing into the girl and sending her to the ground. As she hit the stones beneath her, the weapon in her hand slid into the arched walkway, from which another cloaked man stepped from.

"I'm not telling you anything," said the man on the ground, slowly rising to his feet. "And I guess now, you won't ever find out."

The three now held their swords up, ready to kill the now dazed girl. However, before any one of them could strike, Brutus charged into the group, bringing two men to the ground in a furious tackle.

"You know," he said. "Teaming up on this girl isn't very fair for her."

"It's okay Brutus," added Benton. "With you and me, there's three of us, but I think we can handle these clowns on our own."

"Clowns, huh?" asked one of the cloaked men.

"The only clowns here are you!" shouted another, shaking his fist at Benton.

With that, the angered man charged at Benton, whose hands were held out.

"Quake," Benton said swiftly.

The hooded stranger stopped his charge as the earth near him began to shake. Before he was able to react, a prism of stone fired like a cannonball from the earth under him, breaking his legs and sending him into the air. As the man hit the ground, the spire stopped, and then retreated into the earth.

"Nice," said Brutus, smiling.

"You're adepts," said the hooded man from the arched walkway.

"Yeah, we are," replied Brutus. "We're pretty damn tough ones, too."

"Why don't you try, Brutus?" mused Benton, crossing his arms.

_What?_, thought the cloaked man. _They aren't taking us seriously!_

"You!" he said, looking at his injured companion. "Get them!"

The man obediently stumbled toward Brutus, still strong enough to swing his sword. Sidestepping the attack, Brutus held his hand out, casting a weak stream of fire from his palm. The man's robes instantly caught fire, and he began to scream in panic. Before the man's friend could help him, Brutus swung his sword downward, striking the man in the chest and taking his life.

Without saying anything, the man from the archway drew his sword and ran to Benton, who also drew his sword.

"I got him, Benton," said Brutus, raising his hand.

"No," said Benton. "See to the girl. I'll take him."

Lowering his hand, Brutus hurried over to the girl.

Benton and the stranger both circled one another, thrusting and arcing and clashing their weapons to test each each other's range and strength. Finally, the man swung his blade at Benton, but was dodged when Benton quickly stepped back. Benton then whipped his sword downward, but was met and blocked by his opponent's weapon. This shook the sword in Benton's hand, making him unbalanced. Taking advantage of the situation, the hooded man, spun around to grab his dead partner's sword, and then attacked Benton again with two swords, rather than one.

Benton was just barely able to block the attack, but decided not to waste any more time. This adversary needed to be disarmed, and then beaten.

"Stone," he cried, swinging his blade down once more.

As the blade turned to stone,it crushed the hooded man's first weapon instantly, but not the second.

"No problem," he said to himself. "Stone," he repeated, and then whipped his blade at the enemy horizontally.

However, this time, the weapon didn't transform. His sword met the man's, and he only shook himself off balance. Just then, he began to feel weaker. After that, his head began to ache. The man then approached him, and deliberately struck his weapon, removing it from his grip. His head pounding, Benton fell to the ground. _Venus_, said a voice in his head. _Venus, Venus_...

"What happened?" asked the cloaked man. "Are you quitting?"

_Focus_, said the voice in Benton's head. _Venus_...

Deciding that the voice was instruction, Benton cleared his mind, Focusing on the word _Venus_. _Venus_, he thought to himself, and then began to say. "Venus."

"What?" asked the man. "Venus?"

"Venus," Benton repeated to himself, standing and holding out his hands.

As the man came closer to Benton, Benton repeated once more, "Venus." As he did, an enormous ball of light launched from his hands, crashing into his opponent. As the light impacted on the cloaked man, it changed into an orange color, and began to dart around, violently crashing into the man every time it moved. After each hit, the ball became smaller and eventually faded. However, by the time it had vanished, there was no trace of the man that it struck. It was as if he'd disintegrated.

Much like the man before him, Benton's headache had disappeared, and he was now calm and focused. It felt like the energy he'd summoned had released the tension on him, now making him calm. He quickly shook his head, and picked his sword up from the ground. Benton then walked over to Brutus and the girl.

Brutus was on his knees, hunched over the girl. He was shaking her in an attempt to wake her.

"Is she okay?" asked Benton, kneeling down at her other side.

Brutus shook his head. "She's not waking up," he answered.

"Let me try," Benton said, rubbing his hands together.

Benton lowered his hands, casting healing psynergy on the girl. After a few seconds, she woke. Quickly, she tried to sit up, but grabbed her head and groaned, leaning back once more. Catching her on both sides, Brutus and Benton stood her up and walked her to a wall, so she could sit against it.

"Thank you," she mumbled, grabbing her head once more and sliding down the wall.

After a few minutes of waiting, Brutus became impatient.

"When is she gonna wake up?" he asked, tapping his foot.

"I don't know," replied Benton, casting more healing psynergy.

"I sure would like to know who those guys were," said Brutus.

"Me, too," said Benton, standing up.

"And," began Brutus. "I'd like to know what you did just then, with the third guy. I mean, your sword turned to stone, and then you shot that light at him! What was that?" he continued, his voice raising steadily.

"Calm down Brutus," said Benton, holding his hand up.

"But what was it?" Brutus asked persistantly.

"When I left my home," Benton started. "I found a creature named Stone. He told me that when I called his name, my weapon would turn to stone. That's all I know."

"What about that light thingy?" asked Brutus, pointing sideways.

"I don't know what it was."

Before Brutus was able to ask any more questions, they were interrupted by the sound of a girl coughing.

"Hey," exclaimed Benton, kneeling down in front of the girl.

"Hey yourself," she replied slowly, rubbing her eyes.

"You alright?" Brutus asked over his shoulder.

"Yeah," she replied, scratching her head.

"Can you walk?" asked Benton, offering her his hand.

"Maybe, I think," she answered, gabbing his arm.

"What's your name?" Brutus asked her as she stood.

"Eve- ouch!" she sighed, cradling her side.

"What's wrong?" Benton asked.

"Nothing, I think I've got cracked ribs is all," Eve replied. "So what about you guys? what are your names?"

"Me," said Brutus. "I'm Brutus. The ugly one there is Benton."

"Nice to meet you," Eve said, nodding. "Are you guys brothers?"

"No," said Benton.

"Not yet, anyway," Brutus added. "Hey Benton."

"What?"

"I thought you healed her."

"It's not that simple," Benton replied. "The wounds heal, but the pain doesn't really subside." He then looked at Eve. "Hot water helps the pain, is your home near?"

Eve than gave Benton a very uneasy look. "Why?" she asked, very seriously. "Are you with the Shadow Theives?" Her grip suddenly tightened on Benton's arm.

"You mean those guys?" asked Brutus, pointing at the two felled men.

Sighing in relief, Eve nodded. "Yeah. My home's only a few blocks from here," she said to Benton, easing her grip on his arm.

Benton supporting Eve, the three walked through the alleyways, having Brutus scout ahead. From what Eve had told them on their way, the town was slave to a group called The Shadow Theives. Their recent rise had led to the death of her parents, so she started to hunt them.

"I thought I'd snuck into one of their main houses, but those...'men'.. you had the misfortune of meeting today discovered me. Then they chased me out," she said, wincing in pain.

In the final alley, The group walked along another arched walkway until they found a door. Eve unlocked the door, and Benton carried her inside placing her on a rug-ridden bench next to the door on the inside. After setting her down, Benton and Brutus heard a young voice behind them.

"Who the hell are you?" it said.

Benton and Brutus turned to see a sword pointed at each of them, both held by an angry looking young man.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5-Eren**

Brutus quickly snatched a sword from the boy's hands, throwing it onto the ground.

"Kid, you better put that one down before you get hurt," he said, gesturing toward the blade pointed at Benton, whose arms were crossed.

"Not until you answer my question! Who are you!?" The boy asked furiously.

"Well, who are you, kid?" asked Benton, pointing at the boy.

"My name is Eren, I live here!"

"Eren!" shouted Eve from behind Benton. "These are guests, put down your sword!"

"Eve?" said Eren, looking around Brutus.

Brutus and Benton stepped aside so the young man could see Eve. Running to her, sword in hand, Eren's face changed, now seeming worrysome and protective.

"Eve, what happened, where'd you go?" he asked frantically, almost as if he was someone's mother.

Brutus nudged Benton on the shoulder. "friend?" he whispered confusedly.

"You two," said Eren, now in his angry tone again. "She's hurt."

"She'll be fine," began Brutus, but was cut off by the sound of Eren drawing his sword once more.

"Oh, here he goes again," Brutus said, waving his hands.

"You two are responsible, I know it! You're with the Shadow Theives, aren't you! You've come here to kill me!"

Fed up with Eren, Brutus slapped the sword from his hand and wrapped his arms around Eren, placing him in a full-nelson and lifting him from the ground.

"Let go of me, you Shadow bastard!" Eren screamed.

"Eren!" Eve shouted, wincing in pain once more and grabbing her side.

Eren then fell silent.

Brushing off Benton's attempts to help her, Eve stood. "They are friends!"

"How do you know?" Eren asked, trying to break free of Brutus' grip.

"They saved me from the thieves!"

Though still uneasy, Eren calmed down. After recievnig a nod from Eve, Brutus slowly put Eren down. He then furiously stomped out of the room, picking his swords up on the way out.

"Who was that?" asked Benton.

"My brother, Eren," she said tiredly

"How old is he?" asked Brutus.

"He's sixteen," Eve answered.

"I can already tell that we're going to be fast friends," said Benton sarcastically.

Eve, almost as a response to Benton, let out another gasp of pain.

"Hey, sit down," said Benton, helping Eve back onto the makeshift couch. "That kind of pain is gonna act like a really bad bruise. What you need is a really hot bath."

"We've got a tub and a well down that hall, but there's no way to heat the water," said Eve.

"Brutus," said Benton, looking over his shoulder at his friend.

"You said down the hall, yeah?" asked Brutus, looking at Eve.

"Yes," she answered, followed by Brutus leaving the room.

The hallway was on the end of the room adjacent to the door, right next to the couch and to Benton's right side.

"You should probably go, too," said Benton.

"Alright," said Eve. "Just let me get this cape off."

She drew back her hood and pulled off her cape, revealing a long mass of black wavy hair. She then unclasped her belt, taking it off as well as her boots. When Benton helped her stand back up, She was now only wearing her dark gray jumpsuit.

As Benton helped Eve through the hall, he couldn't help but notice the air becoming thicker and moist. When Benton opened the bathouse door, he was engulfed in fumy steam, all forming above the enormous tub in the ground in the middle of the room. Next to the tub, Benton saw Brutus, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Hey Benton," he shouted.

"What?" asked Benton, trying to see through the thick cloud of steam.

"I think I used too much psynergy," Brutus said, coughing.

"No worries," said Eve, smiling.

"Why?" asked Benton.

Eve raised her hand, and the window high on the wall opened. The steam then flowed out through the window's opening.

"You're a wind adept," said Brutus, reaching up to close the window.

"Yes," said Eve, and, with the aid of Benton, sat down next to the great pool of water.

"Well, is there anything else you need?" asked Benton.

"No, thank you," she replied, watching Brutus walk out. As Benton began to leave, she stopped him. "Why are you helping me?" she asked.

"I don't know, it just seems like the right thing to do," he answered, leaning on the door frame.

"Well, I'll repay you someday, in some way."

"There's no hurry," he said, beginning to close the door.

"Wait," she said, as Benton halfway closed the door.

"Yes?" he asked patiently.

Leering at him, she asked playfully, "What if I need help getting my suit off?"

Laughing, Benton replied, "Then I'd recommend calling on your brother."

Eve, now laughing, waved as he closed the door.

Stepping out of the room, Benton met Brutus, nearly walking into him.

"So how's things?" asked Brutus, a very awkward smile stretched across his face.

"What do you mean?" asked Benton, walking through the hall.

"Oh, don't give me that crap," said Brutus, slapping Benton on the back. "She likes you. She likes you and you know it."

"Doesn't matter," said Benton.

"Yeah, why not?" asked Brutus.

"Because we're chasing murderers who are demigod wannabes," he answered, stopping. "I'm not dragging her into that, and I can't stop chasing them and risk the world's safety because of a girl."

"So?" asked Brutus, still grinning. "You still like her."

"Shut up, Brutus," Benton replied, continuing down the hall.

Eve retreated from the door back into her bath, as she had been evesdropping on Benton and Brutus. _They're chasing someone?_, she thought._ What did he mean, 'demigod?'_, she wondered. Eve Sunk into the water, rubbing her side gently. _What kind of journey is he on?_

As Brutus and Benton exited the hallway, they saw Eren stand up from the couch.

"Eren," said Brutus. "Sorry about earlier," he said, walking toward Eren.

"Stop," said Eren. "It was my fault, and I'm not here to talk to you about that."

"So what _do_ you want?" Benton asked.

"Your help," he said, flinching as he did.

"With the Shadow Theives?" asked Brutus, sitting down.

Once again, Benton was surprised at Brutus' observation skills.

Eren nodded. "I assume she told you about them?" he asked, gesturing to the hall.

"Yes," said Benton. "We saved her from a few of them. From what I understand, you two hunt them, right?"

"She trusts you," said Eren, ignoring the question.

"I guess," replied Benton.

After a long moment of thinking, Eren nodded, and then gestured to Brutus and Benton. "You two," he ordered. "Come with me."

Obeying the young man, the two companions followed him into a doorway on the opposite side of the room from the front entrance. This room, they assumed, was the kitchen and dining room. Pushing aside a table from the left of the kitchen, Eren revealed a hatch on the floor. He then pulled on the handle, opening a stairwell.

"Down here," said Eren, traveling down the stairs.

Following him, Benton and Brutus descended down a flight of stairs, which led to a wooden door. Eren then unlocked the wooden door, opening up a secret basement in the house. The door was in the middle of the wall, and three steps stretched along the wall on which the door sat as well as the opposite wall, descending into a center rectangle of the room. In the back of the room sat closed barrels and cabinets, but in the middle rectangle stood a round table. On the table was a large piece of torn paper. It was a map of the town, but had lines drawn all over it, and points were drawn and labeled onto the map. Right next to the map stood a lit lantern.

"We are tracking them," said Eren. "But it's only us."

"No one's helping?" Brutus asked in disbelief.

"To them," Eren started. "It's just daily life, now." He began to explain. "The theives have been around for years, but only in the past few days have they been so powerful."

"What do you mean?" Benton asked.

"Someone is supplying them," Eren answered. "Money, weapons, even adepts, and most adepts here are town guards. I know who's behind it, though."

"Who?" asked Eren and Brutus.

"Two adepts came into town a few days ago, they spoke to the king. Suddenly, the thieves get more power. I think the king is funding them, giving them guards. I also think that the theives are only a segment of a large organization, probably supervised by those two adepts."

"No," said Benton.

"How would you even know?" asked Eren.

"Because, those are the adepts we're chasing," replied Brutus.

"The ones with the Sol stone?" Eren asked.

"Wait," said Brutus, scratching his head.

"How did you know that?" Benton asked imperatively.

Eren shrugged. "Same way I know you two aren't the bad adepts and that you really did save my sister," he said. "I read your mind."

"H-how did..." Brutus stammered.

"Wind adept," said Benton, his eyes on Eren.

"But... they can do that?" Brutus asked, now also staring at Eren.

"Most can," said Eren, pleased that he'd startled the big man Brutus.

"I expect it won't happen again, Eren," said Benton, glaring at the boy.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," replied Eren, grinning mischievously. "Back to the thieves," he said quickly, his mood changing back. "We need you to help us."

"I'm sorry," said Benton, crossing his arms. "We can't."

"What do you mean, can't?" asked Eren, his attitude now sour.

"We would love to help you and your sister, but we just can't," Benton tried to explain. "We don't have the time."

"No time to save our city? Please, we have to beat them!" Eren begged.

"I'm sorry," said Benton, his voice shrinking.

"They killed our parents!" shouted Eren, sinking to his knees, beginning to cry. "We'll pay you back, I swear! They need to be stopped. They need to be stopped!"

"Kid!" Brutus yelled, silencing Eren. Placing his hand on Eren's shoulder he said, "I get it. I know how you feel. But we gotta put the world first."

"You mean those adepts you're chasing?" asked a girl's voice, echoing from the door.

Spinning around, Benton and Brutus looked at the doorway and saw in a large towel, she stepped down the stairs into the room in her bare feet.

"Eve," whispered Eren.

"You read our minds,too?" asked Brutus, disappointed.

"I didn't know who you were," she answered. "I had to make sure you weren't the enemy."

"Fair enough," said Benton. "But what aout the the two adepts?"

"I know you lost to them, and they're very powerful."

"And?" he asked.

"I'm already in debt to you," Eve said. "And if you help us, my brother will be, too."

Benton began to scratch the back of his head, thinking. "You want to come with us," he said.

"Eve, you can't be-" began Eren, but was cut off by his sister.

"Eren, what happens once we beat the theives? What then? There isn't anything for us here, and this man saved my life," she said, gesturing to Benton. "We can't just let him leave without offering any help."

"Eve," said Benton, grabbing her by the shoulders. "This isn't some kind of vacation."

"I know," said Eve, shaking from his grip. "That's why you need us. Otherwise you'll die, and all four of us will have lost our battles."

"Benton," Brutus said quietly. "She's right. They _are _powerful."

"What if we run out of time?" Benton asked, turning to face Brutus.

"If we hurry to catch em', we'll only die that much quicker," replied Brutus. "The more fighters we got, the better our chances at getting those two."

After a long time of thinking, Benton then asked, "What if they die on our journey?"

"That's our decision," said Eren, cutting in.

"You're sure you want to come with?" Benton asked, looking to Eve for affirmation.

"Yes, we're sure," she said, nodding.

Eren wiped the tears from his eyes, and looked up at Brutus. "Thank you," he said.

Brutus lifted Eren to his feet, patting his back as Eve happily ran up the stairs, nonchalantly readjusting her towel. Closing the door behind her, Benton returned to the table, as did Brutus and Eren.

"Alright," Benton said to Eren. "Tell me everything you've got on the Shadow Theives."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6-Shadow Thieves-Part 1**

"This is a map of their activity," Eren explained, placing his hands around the map on the table. Pointing to the marks on it, he continued. "These lines show where each theif came from during an attack, and these dots are the locations of the attacks. Needless to say, these labels show the names of the parts of town."

"It looks like the attacks are all happening here, in the older part of town," said Benton, flicking his finger on the map.

"They are," said Eren, staring at the paper. "This map is how I originated my theory."

"About the king?" asked Brutus.

"Yes."

"They're just locations, though," began Benton. "Maybe they only attack this part of town because it's not well guarded."

"No," replied Eren, shaking his head. "It's the taxes."

"You think the king here is using the theives as a way to obtain taxes?" Benton asked. "Why wouldn't they just pay them?"

"Because they can't," answered Eren. "Since the king raised them, we can't pay. People here have stopped paying, and the king has no guards here, so there is no way to collect."

"Why not just have his guards raid this part of town?" asked Brutus.

"We make of over seventy percent of the city's population," said Eren. "The people would most definitely revolt."

"So," concluded Benton. "The king commisioned the Thieves to raid the town, promising them a percentage of the money in return for recieving his taxes."

"Exactly," said Eren.

"Well why would he do that?" asked Brutus. "Pay them, I mean."

"Well, he wasn't getting the money in the first place," said Eren.

"And the thieves wouldn't help him without pay," said Benton. "So, its better for the king to recieve at least some of his taxes and pay the thieves, rather than not see the money at all."

"Alright," said Brutus. "So what do we do, break into the castle and beat up the king?"

"No," said Eren. "We still need proof."

"How to we find it?" asked Benton.

"Eve thought she found a warehouse," said Eren. "She figured there'd be a letter or a seal or something incriminating like that from the king. She must have found it," he said, shaking his head. "Because from what I gather, she was chased out and attacked."

"We could go back there," Brutus suggested, nudging Benton.

"By now they've already packed up and found a new building," said Eren, stepping away from the table.

"Then we'd need to get ahold of one," said Benton. "Question him, if he'll talk."

"Where would we even start to look?" asked Eren, shaking his head once more.

With perfect timing, the door swung open, and a Shadow Thief came tumbling down the stairs, rolling into the room. He was unconscious. Following the thief was Eve, sword in hand, her now eviscerated towel barely clinging onto her body.

Slowly walking down the stairs, she said, "They've found us."

"Are you okay?" asked Eren, very concerned.

"I'm great," she answered sarcastically. "There are two more upstairs, but they won't be doing much, from now on."

"And this one?" asked Brutus, grabbing the thief by his collar.

"He's alive," she answered, running her hand through her hair.

"Guys," Brutus said, pointing at the stairwell. "I'll get our answers, you two take care of her."

Nodding, the two walked Eve back up the stairs, closing the door behind them.

"What's he doing?" Eve asked her brother.

"Why don't you put on some clothes, first?" said, Eren, followed by a muffled laugh from Benton.

Looking down, Eve gasped when she realized the towel she wore was nearly torn to shreds, and just barely covered her body. She stopped and fumbled with the towel, attempting to cover herself better, her face turning red at the sound of Benton chuckling.

The thief awoke gasping when a large fist slammed into the side of his face. Looking up, he saw a gigantic man standing above him, cracking his knuckles.

"W-who are you?" the thief gasped, shaking.

"I ask the questions, here," said Brutus, stretching his arms. "What's _your_ name?"

"Tom, my name's Tom," the thief said quickly, evidently terrified of Brutus.

"You a bad man, Tom?" Brutus asked slowly, pacing around Tom. "Been stealing, Tom? Working in the shadows, Tom?"

"Yes," tom mumbled, looking back down.

"Speak **louder!**" Brutus shouted suddenly.

"Yes!" the thief yelped, holding his arms in front of his face.

"You like to attack young girls?!" Brutus yelled, leaning forward.

"Yes!" Tom cried, beginning to sob.

"Get up!" Brutus shouted.

"N-no, I just.. I just, I t-tried..." Tom whimpered, as Brutus dragged him to his feet by his collar.

"I'm just a town guard!" Tom sobbed, his knees shaking beneath him.

His face twisted in anger, Brutus threw his fist into the side of Tom's head, sending him spinning to the ground. "Who are you working for?!" Brutus demanded. "Who's in charge?!"

"The king!" Tom cried, crawling blindly around. "It's the king!"

"Why?!" Brutus asked.

"He said we were getting his taxes," Tom sobbed, wiping his eyes. "He said it was his money, and we just had to get it for him."

Picking Tom up ince more, Brutus asked. "Warehouse, where is it?"

After carrying the two dead thieves out of the house, he entered through the kitchen door to see Brutus carrying an unconscious thief the same way.

Stepping out of Brutus' way, he asked, "What'd he know?"

"I'll tell you in a sec," said Brutus, exiting the building. Upon reentering, he called everyone to him. seconds later, Eren entered the kitchen, followed by Eve, now in her jumpsuit.

"So what'd he know?" asked Eve, clasping her belt around her waist.

"It's the king," Brutus said, looking at Eren.

"Your theory was right," said Benton, patting Eren on the back.

Eren smiled. This was the first time Benton had ever seen Eren smile. In truth, Eren was a very bright boy, and though young, he fit in very well with this group. His skills in battle were still unknown, but Benton assumed he was powerful enough, as Eren was very well built; maybe even in better shape than Benton himself. Eren still hadn't pulled his hood back, but Benton assumed he had very dark hair, like his sister.

"So how do we get the king?" Eren asked.

"I got a place out of the guy before knocking him out," said Brutus, rather quietly.

"So he's alive," Benton said, unsure.

"Yes, he is," Brutus confirmed.

Laying her hand on his shoulder, Eve asked, "Are you okay? you look down."

Brutus quickly pulled away, his somber face quickly showing anger. "Don't you dare read my mind," he said firmly, pointing at Eve.

"Sorry," she said, retreating a step. "I didn't know you knew."

"I told him," Eren said. "They deserved to know. They need to trust us, so no mind reading."

"Benton?" she asked, looking at Benton.

"It was my idea," he said.

"Fine," she huffed. "Brutus, the warehouse?"

"Right," he said, scratching his shaved head. "There are waterways, under the city. It's where all the water comes from in the houses' wells."

"Yes, we know that," said Eren.

"But there's a way to get in there, in that building you were chased out of," Brutus continued, gesturing to Eve. "Their real warehouse is under the king's mansion, in the sewer."

"Then, we'll go there, and we'll break their operation apart," Benton said, leaning on the wall behind him.

"'We'll get our weapons," said Eve, returning to the hallway through the main room, followed by Eren.

Brutus only stood in place, lowering his head.

"You never answered Eve," Benton said. "_Are you_ alright?"

"The guy I beat," said Brutus. "It didn't feel good."

"Why'd you do it, then?" asked Benton, standing up straight.

"Because I'm angry." replied Brutus. "I thought I wanted to hurt people."

"Maybe he was just the wrong person to hurt," Benton suggested.

"He was only a regular guy," said Brutus, raising his head. "His name was Tom, and he probably had a family."

"But he was bad," Benton said. "He was no regular guy."

"You didn't see him," said Brutus, wringing his hands. "He was terrified."

"He was the enemy," Benton stated. "He tried to kill Eve. He gave up his life to become one of those thieves."

"Maybe you're right," said Brutus,looking down again. "But it still didn't feel right."

"Maybe not," said Benton, grabbing Brutus' shoulder. "But feeling that only makes you a decent man."

Brutus then smiled.

"Alright, let's go," said Eve, entering the room. She wore tall black boots and gloves, clothed in her jumpsuit and black cape. Benton hadn't noticed until then that the inner lining of her cape was dark red.

Standing next to her was her brother, clothed in a gray tunic, cloaked in a black cape. He wore two swords at his waist, and his hood was down, revealing his short, jet black hair.

"Brutus?" asked Benton, gesturing to the door. "Lead the way."

The group filed out of the back door, deciding to keep quiet and out of the street. Tracing their steps back to the alley, they continued backward to the beginning of town.

Eve slowed her pace to be even with Benton's, so they could talk. "I really should thank you," she said. "For doing this for us, I mean."

"You two will be fighting, too. It's not like Brutus and I are doing all the work."

"Yeah," said Brutus from the front. "Your asses are on the line, just like ours."

"Still, thank you," she said.

"Don't think too much of it," said Benton, scratching his head. "And besides, you guys have already decided to come with me, so You're not in any kind of debt."

"okay," she said, placing her hands on her head. "So who are you guys chasing?"

"What?" Benton asked.

"The reason you're here? We're going to be traveling together for a while, I'd like to know what we're chasing."

"Oh, right," Benton said. "They're adepts," he began. "Very strong, too. Almost killed me the night I met them. I was lucky enough to survive their first attack, but many others weren't that lucky."

"I'm sorry," said Eve.

Nodding, Benton continued. "Turns out they've got something called the Sol stone-"

"That thing?!" Eve exclaimed, her hands dropping to her sides. "It exists?"

"Yeah," Benton said regretfully. "And the word West is that the lighthouses have been lit, so those two can cause serious damage with the Sol stone."

"So if those two manage to activate the Sol lighthouse, they can separate the elements?"

"Yeah, and if they do that, either the world goes, or we're slaves."

"I guess it's good that we're helping you, then," Eve said, slightly shocked. Trying to change the subject, "What's his story, then?" she asked, pointing to Brutus.

"Well," said Benton, but then he paused, rubbing his chin. "I guess I don't know his story," he said. "But he's strong, and he's got purpose."

"And that's enough for you?" Eve asked.

"Well, I let you two come along," he replied.

Their conversation was then cut short by Eren's voice. "Hey," he called. Pointing ahead of himself, he said, "Brutus says this is the place."

Everyone entered the building, slowly, quietly. The building only consisted of one room, with stairs leading to a catwalk. The room was dark, and across the catwalk was a space with an empty desk. On the floor was a tunnel entrance into the ground. After deciding that this was the sewer entrance, Brutus lifted that steel trap door, revealing a ladder leading down.

"I think this is it," he stated, looking down into the hole.

Also looking down, Eren said, "There's a light down there, be quiet going down."

Eren was the first to travel down. He was followed by Benton, then Eve, and then Brutus. The sewer had an eerie green glow to it, and a lantern could be seen further down the tunnel. The companions stood on one side of a flowing river.

"This is where our water comes from, Brutus," said Eve, pointing to the water. "Each house has a tap that pulls water from here in wells, all along this way."

Brutus only nodded and crept forward. As they traveled along, the wall had a small opening every few yards in which the water pooled. These were the wells that Eve spoke of. They traveled along the left side of the tunnel until they came upon the light. It was a lantern, and it stood on a table. Behind the table, though, facing away from the group was a cloaked man, sitting in a wooden chair. It was a thief.

Looking to Benton for a plan, Eren quietly asked what he'd had in mind.

"Sneak up behind him," whispered Benton. "Knock him out, throw him in the river."

Nodding, Eren crept over to the guard and pounded the hilt of his sword on the thief's head, knocking him out cold. Taking a key from the guard's pocket, Eren dumped the unconsious man in the river. Blowing out the candle in the lantern, Eren waved his friends over to him.

"He's got a key," he said, showing everyone the key.

"Then we're probably going to need it to get into the warehouse," concluded Benton. "Hold onto it."

Now with Benton in the front, the group traveled further down the tunnel, finding a gate at the end.

"This should be right under the mansion," Eren said.

"So, the warehouse should be here," added Eve.

Taking it from Eren, Benton placed the newfound key in the gate's lock. He found the key to be a perfect match, and so he twisted the key and opened the gate. They were close to the warehouse now, and once they got inside, they would find proof that the king was stealing money from the people, and then Eren and Eve would see the him in prison.

"Ready?" he asked, turning to his group.

"Ready," they whispered simultaneously.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7-Shadow Thieves-Part 2**

Further on from the gate in the tunnel was a wooden door. The party piled up on it, their eyes darting around, looking for tunnel guards. This had to be the warehouse. It was the only door being guarded. Holding his hand up to everyone, Benton slipped past the door, which was mysteriously unlocked. After Benton entered, his guess that this was the warehoues was confirmed, as thieves were everywhere, as well as crates upon crates, labeled "gold."

The room was very large, and the crates lined the shelves all along the walls, with the exception of the wall which held the door. This wall supported a grated walkway just above the door. On either sides of the walkway, stairs came down into the center of the room. The placing of the stairs and crates made it easy for Benton to enter and then exit the room without being seen.

Waiting eagerly in the tunnel, Brutus, Eren, and Eve saw the door swing open once more, and Benton snuck out of the room.

"How many?" whispered Brutus.

"Seven," answered Benton, pushing his hair from his face. "Don't think we can take them."

"Just seven?" Brutus asked. He scratched his chin, thinking. "Well, I could take two."

"That's not enough," replied Benton.

"I could take two, as well," added Eren, drawing his two swords.

"That leaves three for us," said Eve, agreeing with the others' plan. "You and I could deal with three, right."

After thinking about it, Benton finally decided, "Yeah." But then he added, "If any of you get hurt though, I won't be able to heal you."

Brutus and Eren both nodded.

"There's no way the four of us are sneaking in," said Brutus, standing up from his crouched position. "So let me go first."

Benton nodded, opening the door for Brutus.

Brutus entered, drawing his sword, and shouting, "Hey!"

The two guards on the stairs and the five inspecting crates stopped what they were doing to turn and see the hulking Brutus, standing in the center of the room, a greatsword etched with flames in his hands. As the thieves surrounded Brutus, his friends came crashing through the door, engaging the thieves immediately.

Sliding across the floor on his knees, Eren swept his blades across a foe's legs, crippling the thief instantly. At the same time, Eve and Benton thrusted their weapons into two other targets, incapacitating them as well. Jumping back to his feet, Eren whipped his swords across the back of another thief, taking out the fourth. With only three remaining, Benton noticed that the two near the stairs wore finer cloaks, and their weapons were more ornate, neat. These two had to be in charge.

Not noticing what Benton had, Brutus swung his blade downward at the last weaker thief. As he did though, the blade began to shake with what felt to Brutus like psynergy. Halfway down, a trail of flame followed the weapon. When Brutus struck the thief, an explosion of fire surrounded his foe. When the flames subsided, the thief was nowhere to be seen. Confused, Brutus stared dumbly at his weapon.

The stronger thief on the left suddenly started slowly to clap, approaching the group, as well as the other, silently.

"I see you were able to unleash your weapon," said the thief's muffled voice. "Most people aren't able to do that."

"Why are you taking money from the poor?" asked Brutus, dodging the remark.

"I can unleash my weapon as well," continued the thief, drawing his weapon.

His weapon was a very light sort of scimitar, curved and agile.

"It's called 'The Bandit Sword,' though I just like what it does." Swinging the blade around, the thief continued to talk. "It's makes me attack twice as fast. It's also how I gained the admiration of the king. Now, because of this sword, I'm lucky enough to have become the king's personal assasin." The thief paused, and then began to laugh in a sinister tone. "Well," he said. "Lucky for me, anyway."

"If you're an assassin, what are you doing down here?" Benton asked.

"Well, the king has to keep his reputation," said the thief. "So, I come down here to deal with the gold, and when I finish, I bring it to him. In return, my men and I have been offered a rather generous percentage of the money. In reality, we're only collecting the taxes due. However, we don't have to deal with the law, because we aren't officially associated with the king. That makes it even better, because then we can take more than the taxes from the poor."

"I bet you think that's really smart," said Eren, his voice shaking with anger.

"You expect us to just let you steal from our people until they can't afford to live?" asked Eve.

"Yeah," added Brutus. "You're crazy if you think we're gonna let you just walk away."

"Oh, no," replied the thief. "I expected you wouldn't. That's why I won't let you walk away, either. But first," he said, gesturing to his silent partner. "I think my friend wants a stab at you."

Laughing, the thief stepped back as his partner lunged, without warning, into the group, his sword raised above his head. Blocking the attack with one of his swords, Eren thrusted the other toward the thief, expecting to kill him. However, the thief nimbly dodged Eren's blow.

Next to attack was Benton, using psynergy. Raising his sword, he conjured a quake, shaking his foe to the ground. Seeing the thief fall, Eve jumped into the air, her sword pointed downward. She drove her blade into the grounded thief, killing him immediately.

As Eve made her kill, the group spun around, ready to combat the king's assassin. When they turned, though, they found he had fled, most likely to the king's mansion.

"Where'd he go?" Eren shouted, slapping his swords into their scabbards.

Looking around, Benton replied, "I don't know, but he's gone."

"How did he get away that fast?" Brutus asked, turning in every direction.

"It doesn't matter," Benton decided. "Let's just get what we came for. We'll deal with him later."

The group split apart, scavenging the room for any bit of evidence that they could find. After running upstairs, Eren saw a bookshelf on the right side of the catwalk. Searching through it, he found a little brown notebook, labeled, "Ledger." He opened it to find that all of the money stolen was recorded in this book. There were dates, amounts of gold stolen, amounts of gold given to the king, and amounts of gold paid back to the thieves. As if this wasn't evidence enough, on the inner cover of the book, the king's royal seal was imprinted. And next to it was his signature.

"Guys!" Eren hollered, rapidly turning the pages of the ledger.

Running up the stairs, Benton asked, "What is it?"

"It's a ledger," said Eren, handing the book to Benton. "And it's got King Athrab's signature in it," he continued, smirking.

"Then we've got a way to get the king," said Brutus, also ascending up the steps.

"We need a plan, though," said Eve, following Brutus. "We can't just walk in there and show him a ledger, he'll deny it."

"Then I'll duel him," said Eren. "Loser goes to prison."

"I don't think you can just walk in there and fight the king, Eren," said Benton.

"It's law," replied Eren. "Anyone can duel the king for the throne, and the new king can send his predecessor to prison."

"If anyone could fight him, why havent they?" Asked Benton, crossing his arms.

"Well, the thieves definitely discouraged it," began Eren. "And the king kept the nobles swimming in money, so they wouldn't allow anyone to fight him."

"So how do we get in there?" asked Brutus.

"They're just nobles and poor town guards," said Eren. "We can get through them."

"Then why haven't you already?" asked Benton.

Eren didn't answer, he only looked down.

Rolling her eyes, Eve answered for her brother. "He doesn't want to admit that we couldn't have done it without you."

Eren then crossed his arms. "We might have," he mumbled quietly.

"It doesn't matter now," said Benton. "There are four of us now, and we're marching to that palace."

"Before we leave," said Eren, his foul mood seeming to disappear. "If I lose to him, you guys need to understand: the king doesn't die."

"Why not?" asked Brutus. "After all he's done to you people, death seems like a good punishment for him."

"But," replied Eren. "Death isn't a punishment; the dead don't suffer." He looked up at everyone for confirmation. Everybody nodded, the king had to live.

That same afternoon, the king got out of his enormous bed, walked to his dining room, and ate a large breakfast, made by his many unpaid servants. When he finished, he entered his throne room. The room was a large area, the door standing at least ten feet high. From the door came a carpet, stretched all the way across the room toward the stairs. on top of the stairs was the platform on which the throne itself sat.

The king lazily walked through his court, looking down at the peasants on either side of the carpet. All were there to seek the king's audience. They were here today to ask that King Athrab took care of the thief problem in the slums. With every request made by the people, Athrab pretended to think for long periods of time, ultimately only making a decision that would save him money. Needless to say, he "couldn't afford to send his very busy guards to root out only a couple of lowly thieves."

As he was about to end his long day, which was full "hard decisions," his last decision was interrupted by four strangers bursting into the throne room, followed by a small army of town guards.

"I'm sorry, milord," one guard said, followed by "They just wouldn't stop, milord," and "I think they're planning something milord."

"Quiet," ordered Athrab, holding his hand out. "You four," he commanded the strangers. "Come here."

He studied the four. The one furthest to the right was was strong looking, he had long hair, and he wore a sword at his back. The next one was enormous and bald, he had a beautifully engraved greatsword at his back, and he seemed a bit aged. The next two were obviously brother and sister, as they looked alike and their hair was black. One was a girl, who seemed the same age as the first boy, and her brother seemed younger, maybe sixteen.

The four companions walked through the town toward the king's mansion, constantly shouted at and followed by the guards. They never physically tried to stop the group, as they only followed, telling them that they couldn't go the way they were headed.

Upon entering the mansion, the four made their way directly to the throne room, where they found the king and a small crowd of people. After their entrance, the king was now focused on them.

"You four, come here," he said.

The king was older, but not exceedingly. He was possibly in his forties. He wore a very expensive looking red suit, and carried no weapon at his side. Slowly, he stood out of his ornately crafted throne, stepping toward the companions, who were lined up next to each other.

"Who's mansion do you think you're entering uninvited?" asked the king, circling the group. Not waiting for an answer, he continued. "I should have you all imprisoned for barging in like that," he said. "Do you know who I am?"

The only reply was Brutus' snickering.

"Do you think this is funny?" asked the king, now offended. "Fine then, off to jail with you," he decided, turning and waving his hand. The guards stood still, not touching the intruders. Turning back around, the king saw that his guards hadn't moved an inch. They only stood, staring at each other. "Well, what's the matter? Arrest them!" the king ordered furiously.

The companions them began to laugh aloud, Brutus silently indimidating the guards to the point at which two ran away.

Finally tired of toying with the king, Eren stepped forward. "Athrab," he said aloud.

"That's _King_ Athrab The Thrid to you, peasant!" the king replied, seriously angered.

"_King Athrab The Third_," Eren said mockingly. "I'm here to duel you for your throne."

Taken aback by this statement, the king only replied, "You.. you can't do that."

"Really?" asked Eren, taking a step forward.

"Yes," answered Athrab nervously. "I've declared it so, you can't fight me."

"Is that so?" asked Eren, taking another step, drawing his swords.

"Are you afraid of a sixteen-year-old boy?" shouted Brutus from behind Eren.

"N-no," the king replied shakily.

"Then prove it," said Eren, tossing one of his swords to Athrab.

Catching the weapon clumsily, the king tried desperately to avoid this duel. "I haven't fought in a long time," the king said.

"Too bad," replied Eren.

"I-I.. don't w-want to hurt you boy," the king said, stuttering.

"Oh, I'll manage," replied Eren.

As Eren stepped closer to the king, the guards and peasants ran away, leaving only the four companions and the king in the room. After a while, though, a hooded man entered, unnoticed by Benton, Brutus, and Eve.

Grinning darkly, Eren swung his sword, knocking the weapon from the king's hand. Immediately,the king dropped to his knees, grasping at Eren's leg.

"Please don't kill me!" the king screamed in desperation. "Why are you even doing this?!"

Eren pulled a brown notebook from his shirt. "See this?" he asked, dropping the book next to the king. "It's a ledger, tracking the money you stole from the people. It's proof that the shadow thieves are working for you."

"Then I'll stop!" the king sobbed.

"Yes, you will," replied Eren.

Eren whipped the toe of his boot into the now former king's head, knocking Athrab out cold. Letting out a long breath, he bent over to pick up his sword, and then heard a cry from his sister.

"Brutus!" Eve exclaimed, as she watched Brutus fall forward, crashing into the ground.

Eren spun around to see Brutus hit the floor, and a hooded man standing behind him. Benton turned quickly, but was struck in the side by the hooded man's blade, and fell to the ground. Expecting to be attacked next, Eve caught his blade with hers, but was forced off balance when his knee rose into her stomach, sender her to the ground, too.

"So nice to see you again," said a familiarly sinister voice.

"The assassin," Eren said aloud.

"Nice work, boy, you've discovered my secret," said the assassin, pulling off his hood.

_That's how he got them_, Eren thought. _That Bandit Sword allows him to attack faster._ "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Well," began the thief. "I was here to collect my payment from the king, but then I saw you beat him."

"So you don't need to work for him anymore," Eren said.

"Yes," replied the assassin. "But I'm not working for you, and I want my money so I'll just kill you and take it all."

With that, the assassin dashed toward Eren, swinging his Bandit Sword rapidly. Eren was just barely able to keep up, using his dual weapons to counteract the speed of his opponent. With blinding agility and accuracy, the warriors' swords clashed again and again. Finally, Eren grew tired, his strikes and blocks becoming less frequent. Taking advantage of this situation, the assassin stayed from his attack pattern, catching Eren off guard. The assassin whipped his blade sideways, cutting a diagonal gash in Eren's chest.

Taking a hit, Eren stepped back, exhausted. He dropped his swords and fell to his knees. Laughing, the assassin raised his sword above his head, ready to finish Eren. Quickly, Eren resorted to his psynergy, holding out his hands and casting a whirlwind. This minature tornado was just barely able to buy Eren time for his next attack.

The whirlwind was weak, and only made the assassin stumble. He quickly regained his stance, ready once more to strike Eren. In those few seconds, Eren casted psynergy once more, but this time, he didn't make a whirlwind. Clapping his hands together, the sound of thunder filled the room. Then, bolts of lightning began to strike all around the assassin, not allowing him to move.

"What the hell is this?!" the assassin shouted, still not moving.

Breathing heavily, Eren replied, "Rays of lightning. I wouldn't touch them if I were you. They're also attracted to metal, so I'd drop that sword."

"Fine," said the assassin, hesitantly setting his sword on the ground. "So what now, do we fight like men?"

"No," said Eren, his hand on his wound. He bent over and reached for one of his swords. "We're not going to fight."

"What do you mean?" the assassin asked.

"And if you go to jail, you won't stay there," Eren answered. "There's only one thing _to_ do."

"I see," the assassin replied. "Well, in that case, I've got something to show you." Bending over, the assassin retrieved his blade and stepped through the lightning. "I'm an adept, too." The assassin than fired a cluster of lightning at Eren, incapacitating him. Crouching next to the grounded Eren, the assassin said, "I bet you didn't see that coming." Smiling, the assassin took Eren's sword with his free hand. "There's nothing more dishonorable than being killed by your own weapon," he said.

"Then this," said a voice behind him. "Is gonna ruin your day."

Before the assassin was able to turn around, a sword was run through him, exiting his body through his stomach. He turned to see Benton, holding his side. Quickly snatching the Bandit Sword from the assassin's hand, Benton struck him with it. The bandit fell forward onto the ground, no longer breathing, Benton's sword sticking from his back.

"You alright, kid?" Benton asked, offering his hand to Eren.

"Yeah," Eren replied, taking the hand and pulling himself up. "Is it really over?"

"Looks that way."

"Is Eve alright?"

"Yeah," said Benton. "But her and Brutus are out cold."

"There's no way we'll be able to move both of them back to the house," said Eren.

Benton began to laugh "There's no way we'll move Brutus alone!"

Eren also began to laugh, but stopped due to the pain in his chest. "So what do we do?"

"Well, you do own a mansion," said Benton, looking around the room. "And we are standing in it."

"I guess we don't have to move them, then," said Eren, smiling.

"We still have work to do, though," said Benton. "We have to expose Athrab, put him in jail."

After healing himself and Eren, Benton slung the unconscious king over his shoulder, and carried him out into town. That night, Athrab was exposed and imprisoned. The location of the warehouse was then given to the guards, and they were instructed to divide the money up and give it to the people in the slums. The workers at the mansion stayed for free, and were now paid. After all they'd done, Benton and Eren made it back to the mansion a little after midnight.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8-Sol Sanctum**

"_Now you possess the Sol Stone," said the wise one. "And I can't stop you..."_

Sebastian and Raven were huddled around a small fire in the wilderness. Across from them laid a man, completely unconscious. His hair was a silvery blue, and he wore a blue and white coat. They found him out here, trapped in an out of place glacier, most likely created with psynergy, but the glacier thawed out, and now they only waited for him to wake up.

"I know him," said Raven, standing up. "He was in the mountain!" Grabbing her head, she sat back down.

"He was," said Sebastian, rubbing his own forehead. "But, we forgot. How did we forget? He gave is the fifth star!" he shouted, jumping from his seat on a log.

"How could we forget that?" Raven whispered.

"I don't know," said Sebastian, pointing at the man. "But when  
he wakes, we'll _make_ him talk."

As Sebastian finished his sentence, the strange man stirred, standing up immediately. His eyes, however, were still closed. As he stood, frozen spires rose in a circle around the small camp. Slowly, each spire formed into a duplicate of the stranger. Simultaneously, the clones opened their eyes very wide, holding their hands out.

"Felix, we need to leave," one clone said.

"We're lighting this beacon," said another, next to the first.

"Hello, Sheba," said the third. "You're going to have to come with us."

"Jenna, leave now!"

"I'll hold them off, just go!"

"Consider it a gift, Felix."

"They can barely stand."

"I will _not _die on this mountain!"

The clones rambled seemingly random phrases, until one phrase caught Sebastian's attention.

"Sebastian, take the star! you can't fight him!"

"What?" asked Sebastian, rapidly approaching the clone. Grabbing its collar, he shouted again, "What did you say?!"

Ignoring him, the clone only continued. "Go! I'll deal with him next time I'm here!"

With that, the clones disintegrated, leaving only the real stranger standing, now awake.

Blinking, he suddenly said, "I see you've made it out." Looking around, he asked, "Where are we?"

"How about you answer our questions first?" demanded Sebastian, mace in hand.

"Sebastian?" asked the stranger. "Do you still have the star?"

"Shut up!" shouted Sebastian. Calming down, he asked, "Who are you, and how do you know us?"

"You've already forgotten me?" he asked. "It makes sense, though. That surge of psynergy might have damaged you," he said scratching his chin.

"What surge?" asked Raven, standing up once more.

"Oh, I guess it did," the stranger continued. "Well, in that case, I'm Alex, and I'm the closest thing to a friend you have right now, so I'd drop the mace."

"Alex," Sebastian said to himself. "I know that name.."

"Of course you do," said Alex. "I saved your life, and you've got my Sol Sone."

"Yours?" asked Raven, also drawing her weapon. "Our people died for this stone, it's ours!"

Alex glared at Raven. After a moment of thought, he asked, "So you intend on keeping it?"

"Yes," they both said, nodding.

"I guess there wouldn't be a point in killing you," Alex said. "So, you hold onto it."

"Kill _us_?" Raven asked, scoffing.

Without warning, Alex, with blinding speed, snatched Raven's throat, and held her above the ground. "Yes," he said darkly. "I can kill you. And I'd so it slowly."

Sebastian swung his mace, but Alex caught it in his hand.

"Looks like you two really don't remember me," he said, dropping Raven. "Hold still," he commanded, placing his palms on Raven and Sebastian's foreheads.

_Entering the shattered sanctum, Raven and Sebastian looked around. The sanctum was cold and dark, and the floor was made of ice. They stood on platforms, and below them was a pit of total darkness, a spout of fire rising from it every now and then. The source of the fire was a mystery._

_ "Saturos was here," Sebastian said, eying the four corners of the space._

_ "How can you tell?" asked Raven, not noticing anything._

_ "The four stars are gone," he replied, gesturing to the statues. "He must have taken them."_

_ "That means we only have to get the fifth, and then wait for the lighthouses," said Raven._

_ "If you can get what you're looking for," said a strange voice._

_ "And what are we looking for?" asked Sebastian. "Who are you?"_

_ "My name is Alex," said a stranger, stepping toward them from apparently nowhere. "And you're looking for that fifth elemental star, the Sol Stone."_

_ "How do you know about our quest?" Sebastian growled._

_ "There's a great deal of things that I know," said Alex. "I know that what you're trying to get is impossible without me, and I know that Saturos and Menardi are dead..."_

_ "Saturos?" asked Raven. "Dead? I doubt that."_

_ "A boy named Isaac did it," Alex replied. "Watched it happen myself. It happened only moments ago, when they lit the Venus lighthouse."_

_ "How are you here if you saw it moments ago?" questioned Sebastian._

_ "Let's just say, in a sense, I can make clones of myself that share my consciousness. I won''t go into detail, though, as your minds couldn't hope to understand my powers."_

_ "So you're just an adept?" inquired Sebastian._

_ "No," Alex answered. "I'm much more." _

_ The conversation was then halted by the sudden shaking of the ground. As the icy ground began to crack, an enormous boulder slowly arose from the ground. Once it began to float above the ground, a giant eye appeared on the front of it. It then spoke._

_ "Hello, Alex," it said in a great, booming voice._

_ "Hello Wise One," said Alex, bending into a slight bow. "I suppose you know what We're here for?"_

_ Shifting up and down, The Wise One replied, "Yes, I do. And it pains me to know that I cannot interfere with your plans."_

_ "No," said Alex, pointing upward. "You can't __**directly**__ interfere. So who's to stop you from bringing this mountain down on us?"_

_ "You have a point," said The Wise One. Before he was able to act, however, Alex raised his hands, and The Wise One became wrapped in solid ice._

As Sebastian and Raven came to, they shook there heads, looking all around their camp, making sure they were where they thought they were.

"What happened?" asked Raven. "What did you do to us?"

"I restored you memory," said Alex, handing her a cup of tea. "As I expected, you two were out cold for an hour or two, probably having a flashback of the events you forgot."

"You were there," said Sebastian, rubbing his head. "But I didn't see... the whole thing."

"As expected," said Alex. "It will come back slowly, in bits and pieces. All you need to know is that the stone you carry is mine, and if not for me saving you, you two couldn't have left the sanctum with it."

"So, we're your pack mules?" asked Sebastian. "We've got our own quest, and we're not letting you take our stone!"

"You mean _my _stone," Alex said sharply. "It's mine, and so is Atmos. You two will only use it to try to reform your clans, and you're wasting your time. It's a pathetic sentiment, and should be ignored."

"You're wrong," said Sebastian, shaking his head. "We were betrayed by our clans. Weyard is too weak to endure the chaos within it. It needs to be ruled."

"And we've got a promise to keep," added Raven.

"Is that so?" inquired Alex, looking the two over. "Maybe..." After long thought, and a few episodes of mumbling to himself, Alex spoke again. "Yes," he said. "You're stronger than Saturos and Menardi, and I assume you won't let me leave with the star, so we're going to travel together. And as you two are so zealous in your quest, you lead."

"How do we know you wouldn't kill us in our sleep and take the stone?" Sebastian asked bluntly.

"Because," said Alex. "You're... essential."


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9-Farewell to Athrab**

Benton and Eren strode down the main street of Athrab, each holding one hand over their extremely bruised bodies, the other grasping a foot of the former king, Athrab. Dragging Athrab through town, the two began to call attention to themselves. Once they gained a large enough audience, Eren stepped up on top of a crate, holding former king Athrab in front of him.

"This," he shouted to the people. "Is your king!" Drawing the ledger from his shirt once more, he continued. "This, is proof that he's stolen from you!" He then dropped the book into the audience. "I, Eren, challenged the king tonight. When I did, I defeated him in one strike." pointing his finger upward, he repeated himself. "One strike! Then he ran, fell to his knees and begged me to spare him. This is your king. This was your king. Now he's done, and so are his Shadow Thieves!"

The crowd began to cheer, and some people began to chant the phrase, "Down with Athrab."

"This 'man' is responsible for the death of my parents!" continued Eren. "As I'm sure he is for the death and the pain of others. But, we will not kill him!"

"Why not?" shouted a citizen.

"He's hurt us!" yelled another.

Eren waved his hand over the crowd, and they began to fall silent. "The dead don't suffer," he said. "This man doesn't deserve death. His punishment will be life-long imprisonment!"

The crowd began to roar again, almost drowning out his own voice.

"He will live in a box, and his money will be spent on making your lives better, while his gets worse!"

Cutting through the crowd's roar, a man suddenly shouted, "King!"

The crowd quieted and looked at him.

"King Eren," he shouted.

The crowd then shifted their gaze back at Eren. "King Eren," they began to chant.

"King?" Eren asked himself quietly.

"Yes," said Benton, next to the crate Eren stood upon. "You've defeated Athrab, so you're the king now." Looking back at the crowd, Benton raised his fists. "King Eren!" he shouted.

Eren then addressed the people as king, then he and Benton carried Athrab to prison. After traveling through town, the two decided to return to the mansion, which now belonged to Eren. Upon entrance, the two headed straight for the throne room, and saw Eve walking around inside. Brutus, however, was nowhere to be found.

"Eve," said Eren, entering the room with Benton.

Immediately, she ran and crashed into the boys, embracing the both of them. Letting go, she began to ask questions. "Where's the king? Where'd you two go?"

"Calm down, Eve," said Benton, walking past her. "Eren, talk to your sister. I'm gonna find Brutus."

"He's behind the mansion," Eve said around her shoulder. "He's burning that guy's body. He told me he wanted to be alone."

"Okay then, I'm going to go find the bath chambers."

"Why?" asked Eve.

"Because today we walked through a sewer, and then fought a lot of thieves. After that, We were beaten up by the king's assassin, and I'm aching. As a matter of fact, I think we all should take one."

"He's right," said Eren, his hands still rubbing his chest. "Come on, sister, I'll tell you everything on the way."

"Okay then," she replied, following the two.

Exiting the throne room, the group wandered aimlessly through the mansion, having no clue where to go. Benton opened and closed every door he passed as Eren rapidly explained the events of his night. He told her about imprisoning Athrab, and that he was now the king. She would reply, telling him not to let the power go to his head, and that the people just lost a selfish king, they didn't need another.

Finally finding the room, Benton waved at the two and ran in. The room was gigantic. The walls and floor were made of a smooth, white stone, and the tub could hardly be considered a tub. It was squared in shape, and had to be at least four yards wide. Along the wall to the left of the door was a great brass pipe with a valve on it. Running to it, Benton turned the valve. Water then began to fall from a large, grated tile in the cieling, right above the giant tub. The tub filled in seconds. Turnong the valve once more, Benton stopped the pouring water, and then stuck his hand in the tub, trying to decide the temperature of the water.

"It's warm," he said aloud, drawing his hand from the tub.

Without hesitation, Benton and Eren threw off their clothes and dove into the water. The two then claimed the two corners on the far end of the tub, Benton taking the left, and Eren, the right. The two then looked at Eve.

"Come on, Eve," said Eren."It's really warm."

"Okay," she said, nodding.

She threw off her cape and belt and then began to untie her suit in the back, paying no attention to the two boys in the room. Red-faced, Benton and Eren spun around, facing the back wall in the room. Hearing her laugh, and then the water stir, the two assumed it was afe to turn around. Eve claimed the corner on the left, closest to the door, and next to Benton.

"Eren," she started. "If you're king now, will you stay here?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, rubbing his chest.

"We promised Benton we'd help him," she answered, looking at Benton.

"Oh," Eren said, recalling his deal with Benton.

"I think the conditions have changed, Eve," said Benton. "I didn't think he would become the king of Athrab when we made that deal."

"I guess not," she muttered, looking down.

"But," said Eren. "We did make a promise. I intend to keep it."

Looking back up, she smiled, and scooted a few feet closer to Benton. "So, boss," she said. "When are we leaving?"

"uh, no need to call me boss, we're friends," Benton replied nervously, seeing her scooting toward him.

"Okay friend," she said, moving even closer to him. "When are we going?"

"You know, you can call me by my name," he said, trying not to look her in the eye.

"Well then," she said, moving in so close that her shoulder and leg brushed aganist his. "Benton.."

She was suddenly interrupted, when a giant wave crashed into the two of them. They looked quickly toward the front of the room, and saw Brutus' head come out of the water.

"Why didn't you guys tell me you were in here?" he asked, wiping his shaved head. "This water is _cold_!" As he hovered his hand above the water, the tub grew warmer, and steam filled the room.

"Hey Brutus," said Benton, quickly sliding away from Eve. "Why don't you ask Eren what happened?"

"Don't bother," said Brutus, claiming the last corner in the tub. "I heard the crowd all the way back here at the house." He then grinned at Eren. "So, how's it feel to be king?"

"Well," said Eren. "I got a giant bathhouse."

"Yeah, you did," replied Brutus, looking into the water.

"But I just talked to Benton, and I'm still going to travel with you two, as is my sister," said Eren, gesturing to Eve.

"Well, that's good to hear," said Brutus. His grin then grew wider as he looked at Eve and Benton. "Its also really nice to see you two getting so close."

With no reply, the red-faced Eve hastily returned to her corner of the tub.

Brutus and Eren exchanged glances and laughed heartily.

Brutus let out a great yawn, stretching his arms and legs. _It's morning now_, he thought. _That means we have to leave_. He sat up in his comfortable bed and looked around. The room was large, like all others in the mansion. Behind his bed was a big stainglass window, and to his side were three more beds, on which his companions slept, with the acception of Benton, who sat on his bed, dressed in his usual attire.

Turning around, he asked, "Brutus, you up?"

"Yeah," Brutus yawned, now stretching his legs.

"Look," said Benton, pointing at his tunic. "The workers here washed our clothes last night. Yours are on the foot of your bed."

"That was nice of them," said Brutus, grabbing his big, red shirt.

"They're also making breakfast for us," Benton continued. "I guess they want to thank us for saving their town."

"Guess we better get these two up, then," said Brutus, putting on his shirt.

"Yep," Benton said, stepping toward Eve's bed. He then sat down next to her while Brutus approached Eren. At the same time, the two shouted as loud as they could.

"Eve!" yelled Benton.

"Eren!" roared Brutus.

The two sat bolt upright, their eyes darting around the room. Laughing, Brutus and Benton informed them of the breakfast made by Eren's new servants, and the two quickly dressed and headed to the dining room of the mansion. After being seated and eating a large breakfast, the group discussed their next destination.

"Well," said Eren. "There's the Troapa's Jungle further South, after a few towns. But I heard that only the monks at the temple to the east could get through it."

"So we need a guide from the temple," concluded Benton. "But what about your people?"

"I'm going to form a counsel of nobles and workers," answered Eren. "They'll make the decisions while I'm gone. In fact," he said, standing up. "I might want to tell the people that now. I also have to get members for the counsel."

"How long do you think that'll take?" asked Brutus.

"Maybe until noon," said Eren. "I'm sorry for making us leave later, but I've got to deal with this."

"I understand," said Benton.

Nodding, Eren left the room.

"What do we do 'till then?" asked Brutus.

"We could take another bath," Eve suggested quietly, leering at Benton.

"You know," said Benton. "That bath actually felt very refreshing. Moreso than usual."

"That's because it's enchanted," said a maid, as she gathered Eren's dishes from the table.

"How do you know?" asked Benton.

"The first King Athrab built it, used his psynergy. Every king kept something special here, and most usually, it's psynergy related."

"Come to think of it," said Benton, sweeping his hand through his hair. "I haven't seen many adepts here."

"There are none," said the maid. "After king Athrab died, the adepts left, with the exception of a few children of Anemos," she finished, smiling at Eve.

"Anemos?" asked Eve. "What's that?"

"Wind adepts," Benton replied. "The Anemos were the first of them, and the wind adepts are considered their heirs."

The maid nodded in confirmation. "It's very refreshing to have an adept as a king, which reminds me, I'll be right back." With that, she left the room, but returned a few moments later with a creature in her hand.

The creature was small, and rather fish-like in appearance, but stood on two feet. It was yellow, but had a large red crest that ran from it's blue eyes to what seemed to be a tail.

"The king kept this as a pet," said the maid, setting the creature down on the table. "It speaks, too, but not very much. It calls itself Burn."

Leaning forward, Benton inspected Burn, and then smiled. "I get it," he said. "It's a djinni."

"How did you know?" the maid asked.

"I had one, too," said Benton. "But when he found me, I absorbed some kind of power from it."

"You told me about that before," said Brutus. "In the alley, with Eve. You said a creature called Stone turned your blade to stone."

"I did," replied Benton. "And it looks like we found another, but he looks different."

"You've met stone?" asked a small voice.

Brutus quickly stood up from his seat. "What was that?" he asked.

"It was burn," said the maid, gesturing to the djinni.

Looking down at Burn, Benton replied, "Yes, I have met him, but he's in me, and said we'd never talk again."

"Oh, really?" Burn asked skeptically. Then he jumped. "Stone!" he ordered. "Get out here!"

As if obeying Burn's command, small orbs of light formed all around Benton's body, floating over to the table. The orbs all formed a big light, which materialized into what looked like Stone.

"Stone?" Benton asked.

"Hiya, kid," Stone responded.

"Stone!" Burn shouted once more. "Why did you lie to this boy? You know he can still talk to you in energy form, so why'd you lie?"

"So I could tell him what he needed without him asking a million questions," Stone replied, hopping in place.

"Wait," interrupted Benton. "Yesterday, when a voice in my head repeated the word _Venus_, was that you?"

"Guilty," answered Stone.

"That was summoning," said Burn. "After we're used in battle, our powers can be recycled into a summoning. Most usually it's the embodiment of demigods."

"You guys can summon demigods?" Brutus asked, reentering the conversation.

"Yes," said Burn "And the ones we summon mirror our elements. When it comes to the names, though, you guys might have have trouble."

"Why?" asked Benton.

"Well," said Burn. "Do you know the name of the god of winter?"

"No, I guess not," replied Benton.

"Don't worry, guys," Stone reassured. "When the time comes, we'll give you the names to summon. We'll even tell our friends to, if you find them, too."

"In the meantime, though," said Burn. "You," he said, looking at Eve. "Are you a fire adept?"

"No," said Eve. "I'm a wind adept."

"I'm a fire adept," said Brutus, raising his hand.

"You?" asked Burn, glaring at Brutus.

Before Brutus was able to reply, the djinni sped forward, crashing into Brutus' chest, and exploding into a series of small lights. Quickly, the lights flew into Brutus, and he suddenly felt stronger. Stone did the same, joining Benton once more.

After the disappearance of the djinni, the group decided to discuss their travel plans. After a long conversation, they all agreed to travel East, where the mountains curved downward. There, was a Temple, which housed the only adepts that could pass the Toapa's Jungle, to the South. The companions would find a guide through the jungle, so they could travel South. After the long conversation, the companions discovered it was noon. After thanking the workers for the meal, the three left the mansion, and found a large crowd of people stood at the gates to see them off. Also at the gates, they found Eren waiting for them.

As the gate opened, the four stood, shouting their farewells to the citizens of town, promising to return. Once the gate was fully opened, the group left, stepping out once more into the warm plains of Northern Bahmra. After informing Eren of the plan, Benton asked how well the assignment of his counsel went.

"It was better than I expected," he said. "Considering most members are nobles."

"Did you think that the poor would be upset with your decisions?" Benton asked.

"At first, I did," Eren replied. "But I told each member that if I even thought something was going wrong that I'd be back."

Benton laughed. "I didn't expect them to be afraid of a sixteen-year-old boy," he said.

"Yeah, well this boy defeated the king," Eren retorted. "In one blow, I might add."

"I guess you're right," admitted Benton. "But then again, anyone could've beaten that guy."

His pride hurt, a now angered Eren quickened his pace, walking ahead of Benton. Behind Benton was Eve and Brutus, silence between them.

"You're very angry," she said, finally breaking the silence.

"Yes," replied Brutus, looking straight forward. "Not right now, though."

"I'm very sorry about Eren reading your mind," she said. "And I know it's not my place to ask, but he saw something, and wouldn't tell me what it was.."

"You want to know why I'm with Benton?" he interrupted.

"I want to know why you're so hurt," she replied.

Brutus took a long breath, and then spoke. "It's not wrong to ask," he said. "You want to be able to trust me. But your own brother won't tell you, which means even he thinks it's something you don't need to know."

"I understand," Eve said, lowering her head.

"I promise, though," said Brutus. "When I'm ready, I'll tell you and Benton." Brutus then smiled. "Speaking of secrets," he began, looking at Eve. "What's going on with you and Benton?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, her face red.

"Really?" he asked, staring directly into her eyes.

"Th-there.. umm," she stuttered, trying to escape his gaze. Then, trying to keep a straight face, she crossed her arms and said, mimicing Brutus' voice, "When I'm ready, I'll tell you."

Brutus began to laugh, but stopped when he heard Eren's voice.

"Hey!" Eren shouted from up front. "I can see the temple!"

Everyone looked up to see Eren standing on a hill, pointing forward. Running to the top of the hill, everyone looked East to the mountains, seeing a large compound built on the cliffs.

"That has to be it," said Benton. "Let's go."


End file.
